jungmeyer update

Bertie Cox

2009-01-06T11:38:00.009-06:00

I've always said I'm going to write a book someday. And since it seems I have nothing optimistic to say in this blog lately (and I know how annoying it is to listen to someone complain constantly), I thought I start putting down some of the stuff floating around in my head.

I don't have a plot for this book yet, but I have some ideas for characters. I know the main character will surely end up somewhat autobiographical as you've got to write what you know. So she'll probably work in publishing or marketing or event planning and will come into contact with some of the nutty people I'm thinking of for supporting characters -- one of whom is tentatively being called Bertie Cox.

Here's how Bertie Cox and our heroine will first meet in person...

Our heroine will be in coastal city -- usually warm but breezy, but is having an unusual hot and humid streak -- for a big event of some kind. Our heroine works for a vendor of some sorts - a PR company or an event-planning related company and Bertie Cox works for the client having the big event.

Our heroine is at the event site overseeing some set-up the day before when her phone rings...

"Hello, this is our heroine."

"Heroine!" Bertie shouts, gasping for breath. "It's Bertie Cox. Are you still there? My plane is late and I've just landed so wanted to call you so you didn't leave. How long will you be there? I want to meet you."

Heavy breathing from Bertie.

"It's no problem, Bertie," our heroine says calmly. "We can just meet in the morning so you don't have to rush."

"No! I want to meet you today. Don't leave! Wait for me!"

"OK, Bertie. We'll be here."

40 minutes later our heroine's phone rings again -- flashing Bertie Cox in the display. Our heroine sighs and answers the phone...

"This is our heroine."

"It's Bertie Cox!" she shouts, still breathless and panting. "Are you still there? I'm almost to the event site. I wanted to make sure you didn't leave."

"No, Bertie, we're here."

"Good. Good. The cab's dropping me off now. I'll be there ASAP."

Several minutes later our heroine looks up startled as a women comes rushing in the door to the ballroom--clearly panting and out of breath. She's in her mid-fifties and carrying a large purse and camera bag over one shoulder and a computer bag hangs from the other. She's dragging a large rolling suitcase behind her, and it's wobbling back and forth.

Bertie makes it 10 feet or so into the room and let's out an audible sigh as she releases all the luggage in a pile around her. She then begins walking as briskly as her short legs will carry her across the ballroom to where our heroine stands trying to not look dumbfounded. As Bertie approaches, she takes her right hand and swipes it across her sweaty brow and then extends it in front of her and shouts, "Hello, I'm Bertie Cox!"

With no choice put to shake the woman's sweaty hand our heroine reaches out and takes it. Our heroine -- with natural height and high heels -- towers over Bertie, who stands barely more than 5-feet tall.

She's wearing an ensemble in varying shades of faded brown. Her sweater, which is clearly not needed in the heat, his hanging most of the way off -- only covering her lower arms and back. Under the sweater, she's wearing a light brown, short-sleeved blouse with frilly ruffles down the front. Every few minutes she reaches inside the blouse to pull up her bra straps, which keep falling down to her elbows. First left, then right.

Sweat is dripping down her face and her hair -- clearly not helped by the humidity -- frizzes out at odd angles except where it's plastered with sweat to her neck and forehead.

That's what I've got for now... more later.

Erin Johnson Jungmeyer

Happy New Year?

2009-01-05T11:17:00.003-06:00

Well... it's officially back to work for me after a break for the holidays. The holidays went as well as can be expected considering it was the first without my dad, but we were a little somber.

On Tyler's birthday (aka Christmas Eve), Lance and I picked up mom and we joined Tyler at his apartment for pizza and some Rock Band. We had fun even though mom refused to sing. I, however, enjoyed having the microphone as it's the only time anyone's ever encouraged me to sing.

On Christmas day, we saw Lance's family in the morning and went to my mom's in the afternoon. Lance got lucky at Monopoly and his Free Parking winnings squashed the rest of us.

On New Year's Eve, my sister and her family came to town. Lance and I had a fabulous dinner at Pierponts with Cyrilla, Al and my mom plus some friends of the family. Then we joined Stephanie and Phil at the Hyatt for the New Year's Party. We said good riddance to 2008 and took joy in the fact that the worst year of our lives was finally over.

However, just a few days later mom would be hit with more crap when the water line to her icemaker came apart filling her house with water for four hours or so. For those of you who don't know, this is the fourth flood (and worst yet) she's had in the past six months or so.

I guess '09 will not be all sunshine and roses, but I'm still hopeful that it won't be all bad either. I'll put up some holiday photos ASAP.

Something worth writing about

2008-12-18T12:21:00.002-06:00

... in my opinion anyway.

This is my praise for my Toyota Prius and it's potentially life-saving and definitely accident-preventing electronic stability control. This also is a real-life account of the existence of so-called black ice, which frankly, ought to be called invisible ice.

Earlier this week, I was making my way home on what appeared to be a clear highway -- though I was traveling a cautious 50 mph give or take. As the center car in a line of five (and the only non-SUV or truck), I was the only vehicle to NOT end up flying into the center median thanks to my electronic stability control, which kept me straight as an arrow while the cars around me spun like tops.

If your next car has no other options, make sure it has ESC. Here's a dumbed down version of this complex system courtesy of wikipedia.

Electronic Stability Control

New game...

2008-12-17T15:02:00.002-06:00

Since I seem to be suffering writer's block, and couldn't think of a single thing worth saying today, I've put a game on the site instead -- scroll down.

Attempt this fun puzzle if you dare and post your time in the comments for this post. We'll see which of my friends is the fastest...

Just when you think you're OK

2008-11-06T16:06:00.004-06:00

As anyone even remotely close to me knows, the past six months have been the worst of my life. Incredibly busy May; terrible, rotten, disastrous June; depressed, stressed and sleep-deprived July, August, September, and October.

The past week or so though I've been thinking that maybe things were starting to get a little better -- far from that new normal everyone talks about, I'm sure -- but maybe a little less awful. Hope and optimism were returning to my vocabulary.

Then I went to Walgreens. My father-in-law had a birthday more than a month ago, but in all this craziness we haven't seen him in that time. We're seeing him this weekend and I needed a card to go with his gift (which, I might add, we haven't bought).

My dad also had a birthday recently -- about two weeks ago. He would have been 58.

So there I am. Standing in front of the Dad cards, and I see them. The "dad from daughter" cards. I'll never buy one of those cards again, but I read every single one of them. Standing there in Walgreens. And once the tears come, they are hard to stop.

I don't cry everyday now. In fact, I am probably tear free more days than not. But when the crying jags start, it's like getting the hiccups. It'll happen repeatedly throughout the day.

I know I should be thankful that I have a father-in-law even if I no longer have a dad. I do love my father-in-law, and he's always been wonderful to me. But he actually makes this losing my dad stuff harder. It's not his fault. It's just his being there. It's a reminder that my dad is not.

Smoking sky chair

2008-09-05T19:24:00.005-05:00

I witnessed a weird phenomenon this morning. Following a couple days of cool, wet weather, the sun came up this morning and was shining straight down on Lance's sky chair. You could see the water in the chair turning to vapor. It was kind of cool.

It's not too late

2008-09-03T13:47:00.007-05:00

... to make plans to attend Winfield (aka the Walnut Valley Festival). It's just two weeks away, but there's still plenty of time to clear your plans for that weekend and dig out the camping gear.

Lance and I will be there by afternoon/evening beginning Saturday, Sept. 13. We'll head home on Sunday, Sept. 21. Friends and family are welcome to come camp with us anytime in that window.

Memories of dad, addendum 1

2008-09-02T15:40:00.003-05:00

Last night I remembered something else my dad was good at -- no great at. Pumpkin carving. He hadn't done an elaborate pumpkin for us in years -- so many things he expected us to grow out of, like jack-o-lanterns and dying easter eggs, but I never have.

Anyway, he could carve some amazing pumpkins completely unaided by templates or designs or special tools like they have today. I can remember him sketching designs with his carpenter's pencil and then working with our everyday kitchen knives (and probably an Exacto knife too). He could create these incredible images by adjusting the depth of the pumpkin flesh -- not every cut went all the way through.

I can remember scary pumpkins and funny ones. I know there are pictures somewhere, so I will hunt for them next time I go to mom's house and scan them in for your enjoyment.

Our last Hadley House Bash

2008-08-25T10:14:00.004-05:00

Well, we had what's very likely to be the last party we'll ever have at the Hadley house. It was bitter sweet. We had a large turnout, which was great. It's just so hard as a host to make sure you get to visit with all your guests. But we had a lot of fun and really enjoyed seeing everyone there -- especially all the kids, who have grown so much (or appeared) since we first started having parties six or seven years ago.

We sat on the porch for a while last night. Sad at the prospect of saying goodbye to our house and our neighborhood. We've put so much of ourselves (and our families) into the house and yard. The bathroom and the closets remind me so much of our parents, who worked many hours on these projects with us. When I walk our yard, my mother is everywhere. She's in the surprise lilies, irises, clematis, and jonquils. She's in the vegetable garden.

I may be grown, but my parents never stopped taking care of me and the thought of being three hours away is tough. I'm so used to being just a short drive away.

We will miss our friends and neighbors dearly too, although I think this is harder on me than Lance. He's leaving many friends behind, but he'll be closer to many friends as well. Me, on the other hand, I don't know anyone in Jeff City or Columbia. And since I'll be working from home, opportunities for meeting people will be limited. I think people think I'm outgoing, but really I'm shy...

I'll post some party pictures soon. I know Lance took some - though I don't know how many. If anyone has any pics they want to share, let me know.

Quotes I like

2008-08-18T19:23:00.002-05:00

I've heard/read a couple of things I like the past couple of days. Thought I'd put them here for documentation purposes and to share...

Never fear the shadows, because that always means there must be a light shining somewhere.
— poet Jonathan Santos

... Already she understood that to be aware of happiness when you were actually feeling it, and not just in retrospect, was to be happy indeed.
— from The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir

Afraid to forget

2008-08-12T13:24:00.005-05:00

Everything scares me these days. I feel vulnerable in the universe.

Today I'm afraid of forgetting my dad. There are times when he comes to mind, and I'm on the verge of remembering something -- something he said or did -- and I lose it. It flees my mind. I try to grab these almost memories and they slip through the imaginary fingers of my brain.

So I decided to start a list. A list of all the memories I do have. The ones that I still recognize as actual memories and not just memories of a photo or story someone told me.

I remember Dad teaching me how to play football. He played football in high school. He used to take us kids into the backyard and draw plays for us on the palm of his hand. He would design an offensive route for one of us. The other one or two would play defense. He was always the quarterback. I remember how the palm of his hand looked as his finger drew across it.

I remember Dad playing Hot Box with us too. Teaching me the base running skills that kept me in softball long after it was discovered that I wasn't a hitter -- bunter, maybe, but not a hitter.

I remember Dad saying "Front and Center" when I was in trouble.

I remember Dad bringing a computer to my third grade classroom for show and tell when none of the class had ever seen a computer before. I remember he made a banner that said "Vindland Elementary" and I was embarrassed because the school's name was Vinland.

I remember that many years later he made another banner to welcome me home from Jamaica after I finished my first (and so far only) marathon. It said "Good Job Erin" and the technology was much improved.

I remember wearing his sweaters and his letterman's jacket when I was in high school. It annoyed him to no end.

I remember his trains. Setting them up together at Christmas. Making villages and scenes. The houses and stores and buildings. Using mirrors for lakes and cotton balls for snow.

I remember when I got my heart broken for the first time. He found me crying in the middle of the night on the deck. He came outside in his shorts and put his arm around me. Told me there were other fish in the sea. Told me it would get better. I didn't really believe him, but he helped me anyway.

I remember one Christmas when dad brought all of us kids Hard Rock shirts back from New York - at a time when it was an absolute must to have a Hard Rock shirt. A few days later we got a letter from Dad's boss who told us how Dad had walked 40-some blocks in the snow in New York City to get us those shirts. He walked because he couldn't afford both the shirts and the cab fare. Dad's boss wanted us to know how much he'd go through for us. I wish I knew what happened to that shirt.

I remember playing spades.

I remember when he'd get so excited about setting up his surround sound. When he had it all set up the first time, he would turn on Top Gun and make me sit in the middle of the living room floor to hear the jets zoom around me. A few years later, when he set up the system in the new house, I had to sit in the middle of the floor again and listen to the cars in Days of Thunder race by. And just in the past couple of years, I had to sit there and listen to Blue Man Group.

I remember him calling me aerocrab and thinking it was an insult until I realized it was a sea creature and not my name morphed with crabby.

I remember how much he loved our pets -- even when he claimed he didn't want them. How he would play with them and every night lay down on the floor with Dillon or Poncho or Felix or Sadie or Baxter or Max.

Life without dad

2008-07-30T10:10:00.011-05:00

Lance left this morning. I imagine he's touring his new office about now. Meeting coworkers and such.

Last night as he packed up a few last things, I became aware of just how much has changed. And will continue to change. I don't like change. I realize that now. The move alone I know I could have handled -- even been excited about somewhat. But this on top of losing my dad...

If my dad were here things would be so different. I could call him for one. I didn't realize how much I relied on my dad. It always seemed like my mom and I were the ones that chatted a lot. Talking on the phone, etc. But now that he's gone, I've realized I called my dad all the time too. Not just to chat, perhaps, but for advice and help.

He was my encyclopedia and my conscience. If I didn't know the answer to a question - mechanical or ethical or otherwise, I called my dad. I'm not sure where to direct these questions now. I can still direct them out into the universe, but no one responds. I can call his cell phone. When his voicemail picks up I hear his voice say, "Randy." That is the answer to all my questions, I guess. Randy. Dad. The answer to all my questions.

Somewhere in the logical part of my brain I think I'll find a new source of information. Someone else whose opinions and knowledge I respect, but the rest of me does not believe this. Such a person does not exist, I say. And even the logical part of me suspects this is true.

He cannot be replaced. Not by one person. His knowledge is gone and doesn't reside in any other one mind. I will seek out countless specialists or web sites or counselors to find the same info I know I could ask of my dad.

Lance takes offense if I refer to him as a jack of all trade (the implication being he's a master of none). But to me it's a compliment. My dad was a jack of all trades. He had proficient (perhaps not expert) knowledge in so many areas -- architecture, drawing, painting, cars, construction, gardening, lawn care, business, sports, politics, religion, and so on.

He was my teacher and my compass. And I miss him.

Randy H. Johnson
Oct. 17, 1950 to June 21, 2008

08 in review, part 3 & looking ahead...

2008-07-14T11:22:00.003-05:00

In the midst of all the tragedy this summer, there has been one bit of good news. Lance recently accepted a new position at the Missouri Department of Conservation. His role as digital communications manager begins August 1.

The bit of bad news that comes with this is that it does mean that Lance and I will be relocating (eventually) to Jefferson City, MO. For those who haven't been there, it's actually a lovely area - lots of trees and green space. It will be hard for this die-hard Jayhawk to live in MU tiger country, but I'll make do.

The transition will be a slow one with Lance initially staying with his friend Jason (see part 2) and commuting from Columbia. After things have settled down a bit, we'll get our house on the market and once it sells we'll look for a new home in JC. We'll only be a couple hours away, and I plan to make regular trips back to KC - for work, book club, and to see my family.

That's all the farther the plan extends. As we know more, I'll let you know. And if you know anyone looking for a home, tell them we've got a darling, updated home in one of the top 10 cities in the country to live in. It's sits on a beautiful 1/2 acre lot and we've got great neighbors.

08 in review, part 2

2008-07-14T10:54:00.006-05:00

June. What can I say about June? If March was one of the best overall months, June was most definitely the worst.

On June 3, I left work early. I wanted to talk to Dad. I called at 4:30. Not home yet. I called at 5:30. No answer. I called at 6:30. No answer. It's not like me to call repeatedly like that. Deep down I must have known something was wrong. I didn't know until later that he could hear my messages, but couldn't get to the phone.

He finally did get to the phone, and eventually ended up being taken by helicopter to the hospital. The details of the next 18 days are at once fuzzy and clear. I remember things very clearly and yet the happenings are surreal.

I do know that the night Dad died he reached out and stroked my hair -- told me it looked like his (dirty). He made me laugh. Still cracking jokes though he knew he was dying.

The days and weeks since have been a count. I know that will continue. I count every week. Friday nights I think, it's been one week. it's been two weeks. it's been three weeks. My life will forever be divided into two halves. The half before I lost my father. The half after.

Just before the three week mark we got more bad news. Lance's longtime friend, fellow j-school grad, and photographer Sarah died, leaving behind a loving husband (Lance's good friend Jason) and two adorable children.

These two losses are the ones closest to us -- the ones that hit us hard and have us functioning, but not thinking -- but there have been others in the terrible summer. It's been a summer of worry, stress and disbelief. We all await the fall.

Continued, see 08 in review, part 3.

08 in review, part 1

2008-07-14T10:40:00.005-05:00

Well, you all know by now that I'm not the world's best blogger. Clearly, updating the blog is low on my priority list, but I'm finally making an effort and I know many of you want to know what's up.

Since my last update a lot has happened, and more changes are on the horizon. Here's where we've been since February...

In February and March, Lance and I both traveled some. Me to Vegas and Philly. Lance to Berlin. Then I enjoyed one of the best all around months in my life as I watched the Jayhawks plow through the NCAA bracket and come out on top. What a blast.

In April, my dear friend Noa visited us from Israel. She stayed with us for two and a half weeks. We had a great visit, and I was able to take a little time off work here and there so we could shop, chat, etc.

Then work started picking up -- especially the travel. In late April/May, Lance and I had six trips between us. He went to Tahoe, Vegas, and Calgary. I went to DC, San Francisco, and San Antonio. Stephanie joined me for the San Antonio trip and brought Devlin. We went to the zoo, ate on the river walk, swam in the pool and bought some princesses at the Disney store.

In all, this was a very busy, but productive, happy time.

Continued, see 08 in review, part 2.

Happy New Year

2008-01-09T11:00:00.001-06:00

The past six weeks have been pretty busy at the Jungmeyer house. Sorry for the lack of updates. In early December, we got all gussied up and celebrated with my dear friend Sara as she got married.

Before Christmas, we drove to St. Louis so Lance could spend some time with his brother and I could hang out with Grandma. Here we are visiting at her retirement home. Grandma really enjoys it there and we're all wishing her a speeding recovery from a recent fall so she can get back home.

We then drove to Des Moines where we celebrated Christmas Eve with my sister's family and my parents. Devlin sure enjoyed openng his presents. His favorite gift was his engineer outfit from his Grandma.

We spent Christmas day in Raymore, Mo., with Lance's family. We had a nice day and terrific brunch. Isabella and Dylan are growing up fast.

Lance celebrated the new year in Dallas with his parents and college friends as they watched his MU Tiger win the Cotton Bowl. I enjoyed the Jayhawks' Orange Bowl victory from the comfort of the couch. Rock Chalk Jayhawk, Go KU!

Our Sadie dog is recouperating from knee surgery. She has three more weeks of "bed rest," but she's been breaking the rules since the first week.

We're expecting Stephanie and Devlin for a visit this weekend. They're on their way south to look for a home or lot in their future home of Tahlequah, Okla. I'm going to head back to St. Louis soon to see how Grandma is doing.

In February, Lance will be off to Germany again. And I'll head to Vegas.

That's all I know for now. And remember, when you don't see an update for a while that "no gnews is good gnews."

Fall Fun

2007-11-12T12:24:00.000-06:00

We haven't been all work these past few weeks. We have be able to enjoy a little of the mild weather lately, and so has Sadie. I saw her early one recent morning just sitting quietly in the back yard and thought it was a nice image, so I took some pictures.

We also had some fun with our nephew Devlin, and plan on more fun this week. Here he is after being brainwashed to think tigers are cool -- while wearing his Beak 'em Hawks shirt!

Nearing Completion

2007-11-12T12:16:00.001-06:00

Well, the closet project is nearly finished. Lance & I have moved our stuff in. We have some small things to take care of -- touch-up paint, installing some quarter round, etc. -- and one moderate thing -- crown molding -- but everything is functional and we're back in the bedroom.

Thanks to all our family members that helped us along the way -- Mom & Dad Johnson for loaning the truck and tools and for providing much guidiance and labor. Mom & Dad Jungmeyer for helping move us back in and cleaning up the construction mess. And Juan for all the electrical work -- we might have burned the house down without you.

We really appreciate it all and love our new space.

Closet Project Photo Update

2007-11-12T12:13:00.000-06:00

Here is the bedroom / closet project with painting and trim work in progress...

Preparing for the mud

2007-11-01T17:03:00.000-05:00

We've made much progress in the past five days on our closet project. The mudding will start tonight. ick. Enjoy some pics.

Home Improvement 2

2007-10-25T15:09:00.000-05:00

Well, progress continues at Hadley House. The floors have been repaired and refinished, and we've got a fine plan for building walk-in closets for Lance and I -- Thanks to Dad for creating such a nice drawing (click on it for the full-sized doc).

The wall will start taking shape Sunday. I'll post more pictures next week.

Home Improvement

2007-10-08T09:53:00.000-05:00

After many months of wishing and hoping, I finally have new windows in the house. There are some finishing touches yet to be done -- some by us and some by the window people -- but I'm already enjoying the benefits of windows that open.

We also are enjoying the expanded view from the new bay window in the kitchen. I think we will spend more time at the table now watching the birds and the neighborhood.

And since we had to kind of tear up the house for the window project, we decided to move up the timeline on the bedroom remodel.

I ripped up the carpet this weekend, which was disgusting. I will never, ever have carpet again. It's the nastiest floor covering ever. You wouldn't believe the amount of dirt, dust and hair under the high-traffic areas -- and I thoroughly vacuumed it before I ripped it up. Carpet is like a filth magnet. The discoveries I made have also generated a new grooming schedule for the dogs. They will now get brushed daily and a bath every Sunday with no exceptions. They miss the carpet already.

The good news is that the hardwood underneath is in great shape. We'll have to repair some of it, but for 60 years old it looks good. As you can see in the picture our bedroom used to be two smaller rooms with two small closets, so that area will need extra work.

Enjoy the pics, and if anyone wants to volunteer labor for our project, we will feed and water you.

Harvest Time at Hadley Street Farms

2007-09-26T15:25:00.000-05:00

With fall here, the growing season is coming to an end. Just before Winfield I dug up the onions (picture coming soon). We had a nice haul this year, which is only our second season growing this crop. Special thanks to my mom for buying us the onion sets and the fertilizer.

We still have some lovely looking tomato plants. Too bad beauty is only skin deep. These tomatoes were worthless. For the second straight year, we failed at tomatoes. Last year the plants just were weak and miserable. This year, however, I thought things were going well. The plants look great. We just never got to eat anything. The few decent looking tomatoes we saw were nabbed by critters before they even neared pink.

We've still got peppers producing. We've had some nice bell peppers and some good looking jalapeños. Our cucumbers also did well. We had a bumper crop, and I miss them already.

The cool weather feels nice, but I'm already sad about the upcoming winter season. I'll miss the yummy summer veg -- from Hadley St. and from other local farmers. We may not have produced any of our own tomatoes, but we experienced some terrific ones from growers like my mom, lance's mom, and Good Natured Family Farms.

The days are getting short and before long I will say goodbye to tomatoes until next summer. What a shame.

This time of year also brings about a harvest of another commodity at Hadley St. Farms -- acorns. Seeing the yard, porch, deck, patio, and driveway littered with this endless tree trash further exacerbates my seasonal mood swings. I can no longer enjoy the yard -- despite the cooling weather -- because it looks like a war zone.

How can one relax when just walking in the yard can be hazardous? Have you ever been hit with an acorn that's fallen from a 60-foot oak tree? It hurts.

The only upside of snow is that it covers up the acorns.

So another season has passed. Next year I think we'll skip the tomatoes.

Winfield highlights

2007-09-25T15:27:00.000-05:00

I promised more on Winfield, so here you go...

When we get back from Winfield, everyone always asks,

1. How was it? and
2. How long do you go for?

This year I camped for a total of six nights with a brief break in the middle. Lance camped for nine nights with a brief break in the middle. It's the longest I've stayed and was a little short for Lance.

So how was it? Wonderful. But it's really hard to describe without being there. For me, here were some of the high spots.

1. Timmy's new camp sink -- I wish I had a picture of that thing. Timmy brings a lot to the camp, but the sink is by far his best acheivement. With a rubbermaid tub, a 5-gallon bucket, a water jug, gravity and a lot of 2 x 4s, Timmy brought running water to the camp. We may have been dirty overall, but our hands were clean.

2. Split Lip warming up in our camp and hanging out after their Friday night Stage 7 set.

3. The weather. Man was it nice. A little chilly at times, but that's better than roasting.

4. DeWayne Brothers. Saw them perform a couple of times. They're terrific.

5. Seeing friends we don't get to see often -- The Kogers, The James, The Baileys, Larry & Lori, Drew, Melissa, Gibron, Olga, Paul & Julie, Travis, Papa Pete, and many more.

The grass was blue

2007-09-19T18:13:00.000-05:00

We made it back from another Winfield. Only three hundred and fifty some days until we get to do it all again. I'll write more later. For now enjoy some pics.

The end of a relationship

2007-08-17T15:03:00.000-05:00

After nearly 15 years of being together, I've decided to it's time to distance myself from one of my primary relationships. My love affair with Target has come to an end. I'm sure we will remain friends, and I will visit from time to time. But I've come to the conclusion that our values are just too different to continue as we have in the past.

More and more I'm speaking with my wallet. And the more I educate myself about how the products we (as Americans) use everyday are manufactured, the less I feel comfortable buying.

Take my lunchtime trip to Target today. I went in -- as I usually do -- with something specific in mind but open to the possibility that other handy, must-have items with catch my eye. I headed to the camping section to see what things I might need on our upcoming trip to Winfield.

I picked up tent fans and lanterns. They all said the same thing -- Made in China.

I moved on.

In lawn & garden there were many clearance items. I'm pleased. I grab citronella candles and solar-powered lights. Perfect for camping. I walk away, but then remember... I look. Made in China.

I moved on.

So I move to the fitness section. I need a new water bottle. One that I can refill and wash in the dishwasher but that is slim enough to carry without hurting my hand. Made in China. Made in China. Made in China.

I moved on.

Now I'm in domestics. Lance wants some more kitchen washcloths -- the kind with the scrubby side. Made in China.

I moved on.

I looking at storage items. There's a cool storage container for scrapbook paper. Made in China.

I left the store after an hour of "shopping" with a can of soup. Did I change anything. Maybe not yet. But I hope more people will start looking at what goes into the food and other products that we use on a daily basis. And we start sending a message to companies that we don't want to sacrafice safety and quality to save a few bucks -- bucks that we don't see anyway -- CEOs and shareholders see the savings from cutting corners.

We have to let our wallets do the talking. And if it means less convenience -- seeking out local stores that sell local, sustainably manufactured goods -- or buying used, than that's what I'll do.

Maybe there will come a time with the American Girl dolls are made in America -- not China.

Catching up...

2007-08-17T14:40:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been more than two months since I've posted an update. In that time, I've been to St. Louis, Des Moines, and Chicago -- Twice. Lance as also been to California, Omaha, Des Moines, and the Lake of the Ozarks.

I was lucky that Stephanie and Devlin were able to accompany me on my first trip to Chicago and on my trip to St. Louis. It's been nice to see Devlin regularly as he changes so fast. We also were able to see Grandma and the rest of our St. Louis relatives while we were there, which is great.

Chicago has a neat public art exhibit right now called Cool Globes. I was able to go check it out one morning while I was there, and I also wrote a story about it for one of our papers. You can read it at http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/tristar/asae07-3/ on page 19. The exhibit is all about everyday things we can do to combat global warming -- like changing our lightbulbs, refilling water bottles, etc. There are a gazillion ideas at http://www.coolglobes.com/tips2.htm.

Record setters

2007-06-05T16:17:00.001-05:00

On Sunday, June 3, 1,683 guitar players came together to play Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" simultaneously in an attempt to set a world record.

Our own Lance Jungmeyer was joined by my parents (and 1,680 other people) for the event. We're still waiting to hear that the Guiness Book has officially recognized the event as a record-setter, but it looks good.

Check out video of the event here.

Summer slow down

2007-06-05T15:09:00.003-05:00

I survived a frenzied travel schedule in May, and now I can relax a little for the next few weeks. Lance and I had one of the best Saturdays since we've been married last weekend.

We were both home, which is rare. And we didn't have a wedding, family get together, house guest or some other obligation. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I think that's the first such Saturday we've had in our married life.

I went for a run in the morning -- trying to get into shape for the half marathon I promised Tyler I would run. Then Lance and I took a leisurely drive to Waldo -- stopping at a few garage sales along the way. We ate Waldo pizza for lunch and checked out It's Only Natural -- my new favorite shop.

Then we went to Loose Park and walked around -- checking out the turtles and ducks and acting our ages on the swings. We then went home, grabbed the beach bag and went to the pool. We capped off the evening with BLTs and a movie on the couch. It's too bad such Saturday's are so rare.

On mothers...

2007-05-14T09:46:00.000-05:00

The older I get, the more I appreciate what moms do. I may not be one (to a human anyway), but I know it's got to be the toughest (and most underpaid) job in the world.

So, following a weekend honoring moms, I just wanted to say thank you again to the moms in my life -- my mom, grandmas, sister, my mom-in-law, and my grandma-in-law. How lucky can a girl be to have so many moms?

127 days until Winfield

2007-05-08T14:44:00.000-05:00

Now I know we just got back from vacation, but I find myself already dreaming about the next one -- our annual trek to Winfield for the Walnut Valley Fest.

For the uninitiated, Winfield -- aka Bluegrass -- is the most relaxing place you can go . I know you might think that some of the other places we've been would come out on top, but there's something about camping with no where to go and no clocks that actually allows for relaxation.

It may not have the scenery of Sun Valley or the beach like Mexico, but Winfield has acoustic string musicians... and what's better than that? Not much, but here are a few other cool things about Winfield.

1. Camping in the Pecan Grove. Winfield redefines camping. Sure, we all sleep in tents. But we have a "living room" under the big parachute -- complete with sky chairs and hammocks. And we have a "kitchen." We've gone beyond campfire cooking too. We eat everything from kababs to pork chops. If you want to join our camp -- Less Talk, More Monkey -- just look for Stage 7 (see Split Lip Rayfield playing Stage 7 above) and then head "back stage." You'll find us there.

2. Walkabouts. When darkness descends on Winfield, it's time to grab your flashlight and head out. You'll never know what you'll find. Perhaps an impromptu, acoustic version of Jesus Christ Superstar or a wedding or a game of skee ball or foosball at Camp Woodenhead.

3. Stage 7. One of the "unofficial" Winfield stages, Stage 7 is kind of like our front yard. In fact, the music is often more enjoyable from our "living room" than from in front of the stage because there's not so much competing noise. There's nothing cooler than lying in your tent at night and listening to bands like Truckstop Honeymoon, Loose Gravel or Jeff & Vida.

4. Pickers' Row. The "main street" of the Pecan Grove, Pickers' Row is the place to go to watch (or participate in) all-night jam sessions. Enough said.

5. Massages. That's right massages. During Winfield, they convert one of the barns at the fairgrounds into a massage studio. You can get 15 minutes for $11 -- or an hour for $44! You can't beat that. I've never had a bad massage at Winfield. It's one of the things I look forward to all year.

Rainy days and start-ups

2007-05-07T09:42:00.000-05:00

Well, we're on day two of what looks like many days of rainy weather. The dogs won't go outside unless threatened, and keeping water out of the basement is a never-ending battle.

On the upside, raining days are good for cleaning house and working on my scrap books.

We've got a new addition to announce. Lance has officially launched his online b-to-b blog for socially responsible retailers. Check it out here.

If you know anyone in retailing, be sure to tell them about the site. Or if you know any manufacturers of sustainable products interested in advertising on the site, send 'em our way.

Lance is in Chicago now and headed to Montreal -- giving speeches and networking.

Back to work

2007-05-04T10:40:00.000-05:00

Lance and I have and been back at work a week now, following a week in Mexico. This vacation had it all -- career drama, new friends, endless tacos, wild cats and dogs, broken down golf carts, lazy beach days, and more and more. We started the week on Isla Mujeres -- Island of Women. I recommend this small island for anyone or enjoys stepping out of their comfort zone and really getting away from it all.

The food is is incredible and cheap. We ate tacos everywhere. And you can't help but have fun when you're getting around in a golf cart that you have to push start a la "Little Miss Sunshine."

We then had to head to Cancun so Lance could work. He had to deal with work BS the whole week, but I think he still managed to have a good time. From the amount of seaweed in his swim trunks, I'd say he did.