Oh Cap'n My Cap'n

Dear God, please do not let my husband or my health minded friend, Francie, read this post.  They might disown me. 

My guilty pleasure this week was Cap'n Crunch.  Cap'n mind you, not Captain.  It's sugary, it's crunchy, it's oh so good.  At least it used to be.

I just ruined it for myself.  After a fun-filled morning at the local splash pad Baby Boy and I came home and with exhaustion written across his forehead I quickly ushered him upstairs for nap time. 

As I settled into my what's for lunch mode I remembered the unopened box of Cap'n Crunch stowed away down in the basement. 

I promise, promise, promise I would never have even bought the stuff except for the fact that I picked it up for pennies one day.  I don't know to many people that can pass up almost free Cap'n Crunch.  You with me?  If not, you are a way stronger human than me.  I commend you.

After going back and forth for 3 minutes questioning the acceptability of eating sugary crap for lunch I caved.  3 minutes of questioning is a lot for me, mind you. 

I washed my hands and put on some hand cream.  The Cap'n is all about cleanliness.  Did you know that?  Then I gracefully poured the cereal and milk into my bowl careful not to drop a crunchy square or drip the slightest taste of milk.  My excitement soared, I braced myself, and then I went in for the kill. 

At that exact moment I was overwhelmed with the scent of seven day old Chinese food.  Something between the Cap'n Crunch and my hand lotion combined to give off one of the nastiest, stinkiest, garbage smells I ever did smell. 

Oh Cap'n my Cap'n you are now ruined.  It may be the last that I see of you in this precious lifetime.  The heartbreak.  The disbelief.  The overwhelming sadness.  On second thought, maybe I should just trash the lotion and try again.

Oh Cap'n, please crunchatize me.  Hehe.

Timeless Tuesday: Political Scandals

Political scandals are as much a part of U.S. history as the Declaration of Independence.  Regardless of the cherry tree, I'm pretty sure even Washington told a few lies.  Except for honest Abe, of course...

This whole Weinergate thing is kind of funny, kind of not.  Truth is, just as there are bad police officers in the world, there are good politicians as well.  As much as I would like to sigh and suggest that such is life in the political realm, I won't.  I can't cast that light on an entire population (oh, but it is so hard not to).  Let's make the most of the latest political scandal that has hit our headlines and see if there are a few things we can learn from Andrew Weiner.

What we can learn from Andrew Weiner:

1.  Don't engage in steamy online chats when you are married, a politician, or are a married politician.

2.  Make sure you double check who you are emailing/posting/twitting too.  In other words, always make sure that you are directing your info to the appropriate individual, not the entire reply all list, or everyone following your twitter account, or the whole world.  Duh.

3. If you lie you better stick with it.  Better yet, just don't lie. 

4.  Don't expect someone you don't even know to keep your secrets.  Especially if you are a politician.  And even more so if telling those secrets could bring fame and/or money to the tattle tale.  Sell baby, sell!

5.  Most importantly, at all costs, don't get caught up in a sex scandal if your given name might lend itself to any extra comedic fodder.  Jeez.  Apparently common sense is not a requirement for political office.

Timeless Tuesday: My Dad

My Dad.  He is kind, he is generous, he is always willing to lend a hand.  He managed to maintain his sanity even living in a house with four women (no small feat).  He taught me how to ride a bike, throw a football, bat like a boy, and that sometimes it was ok to cry like a girl.  That is, as long as I eventually jumped back up, dusted myself off, and got back at it.  He taught me that the sun and sand could soothe the soul, that you are never lost if you are close to a Waffle House, and that when the going gets tough the tough get going. 

He emphasized how important it was to defend anything or anyone you believe in, especially when it comes to your family.  He didn't scream at me when I told him that I wrecked the car, blew up the boat, or when I mentioned that I was going to live with my boyfriend (fortunately all of those turned out to be fixable or ended in marriage).  He has sacrificed for his family in countless ways and will do just about anything to make sure his girls have a good time and get what they want out of life.

Even to this day he knows the exact amount of advice to give - never too much, just enough.  He has forged bonds with his son in laws and regards them as friends.  He is most proud when he is called by the name Papa.  His grandkids can't get enough time with him.  His littlest fan, my Baby Boy, can chant his name for hours on end.  Desperate for his special playmate to join in his fun and not caring a bit that there is more than 60 years between them.

Happy Father's Day, to a very special Dad.  My Dad.

Timeless Tuesday: Projects, Projects, Projects

Apparently our Timeless Tuesday has again turned into How Is It Already Wednesday.  I hope none of you use my Tuesday posts as a calendar substitute.  If you do; you are a day behind.  But then again, so am I.  How nice it is to live on this planet together, huh?

I promise my timing issues are not without reason.  We have been busy with projects, projects, projects over here.  I've noticed recently that there is always a new project on my to do list.

PROJECTS = TIMELESS 

They keep coming back, finding you, haunting you day after day, week after week.

And some of them are timelessly long - hello, it took the Egyptians between 15-20 years to build the Great Pyramid of Giza.  Even with our fancy schmancy modern day tools and equipment I would still sware the average project can last weeks to years. 

And don't get me started on how long it takes to determine if a project should be completed by us or if it must be hired out.  For Mr. November and I it is a pretty intense calculation that takes into consideration how many saws, nails, and ladders must be used.  Thankfully our house is only 5 years old which makes it a toddler in the world of home ownership and means that most projects can be completed in house.  Pun intended.

Funny though, because we are in the midst of farming one out. 

I've had a love hate relationship with the open floor plan of our house even before we made our first mortgage payment.  It is great to be able to fill up a 2nd story bath tub while keeping an eye on Baby Boy chowing down dinner in the kitchen.  It is also aggravating as heck to know that every sound you make on the first floor goes right upstairs. 

Here is what we are doing about it.  Don't mind the laundry basket or husband's arm that are creeping into this "before" picture.

Bye-bye railing.  Hello, framed wall.

Drywall is up.  Woohoo!

Of course, there is still a bit of work to be done.  Drywall finishing, painting, a bit of carpentry, and some prettying up, but you can see that this project is coming together. 

I will share the "after" pictures when it is all said and done, but do keep in mind those Egyptians and the fact that I'm living on a planet that runs a day behind Earth.  So it may be awhile before this project is done.  Oh, and if you hate it that's fine too.  Just keep it to yourself and be glad you don't live here.  I do and I think I'm gonna like it, a lot.

Good luck on your summer projects.  May they be completed in less time than the Great Pyramid of Giza!

Insurance Tips Courtesy of My Former Self



After just over a year of stay at home motherhood I have cause to question if my mind has turned to mush.  Between poopy diapers and nursery rhymes I often question if I've retained any of what once comprised my self worth.  You know, the worth that was tied to 8 years in the commercial and personal lines insurance industry working for prominent companies.  Yep, that is the worth which has now been boiled down to how well I can sing Row Your Boat, how kindly I can seduce my bath tub fraught monkey into the water, and how regularly I can find two matching socks (which seems to correlate with full moons, but I'm still observing that pattern).  It would be wrong for me not to note that the aforementioned mom victories, be them small, are worth a bit of the mind mush so just to keep things straight here - I'm not complaining, just saying.  




Janie, pre-motherhood.

Janie, post-motherhood.





 

Even though I know I am a vastly different person then I was only a few short years ago (as evidenced by the above pictures), I'm determined to test my self occasionally for signs that my former self still exists. For instance, can I still jump rope?  Yes, although for everyones safety I'm not sure it is a good idea.  Can I still play the saxophone?  No, but let's be honest I never really could.  Can I go a day without eating chocolate?  I suppose, but what fun would that be?  Anyway, I've decided to test myself on a bit of my past life insurance knowledge in the hopes that it might benefit you. 

Now, devoted readers, I know you are an intelligent breed so you may read the below and say, Janie, we know this and we have been doing it for years.  Or, being the smarties that you are you may have had a few other things on your mind to worry about and could have possibly missed these seemingly trivial matters of personal insurance.  Either way, I am going to enlighten you or bore you for a few moments while I test my once upon a time knowledge of personal lines insurance. 

Below are a few easy, yet essential, items for you to consider when managing your personal lines (home, auto, umbrella) insurance.  Oh, and I do still hold an insurance license in the state of Ohio so it is legal for me to give this advice.  Just in case you wondered.   

Can you tell that this is my Sarah Palin impression?  You betcha!



1.  It almost always makes sense to have your home/renter/condo insurance and auto insurance bundled with the same carrier as most carriers give a worthy discount for your multi-lines loyalty.  If your home and auto insurance is not currently with the same carrier...get both coverages priced with both carriers to see if you can save any money by bundling them.


2.  Home insurance should be for catastrophes not your every day wear and tear.  That being said, consider raising your homeowners deductible to save money.  Many people carry a $250 or $500 deductible when they should be carrying a $1,000 or $1,500.  Are you really going to turn in that $300 claim for spoiled food when the electricity happened to be out for 24 hours?   Probably not, but heaven forbid a tree comes through your roof or you have a kitchen fire.  That you want to make sure you have covered.  Of course, whatever you set your deductible at, make sure you have enough available funds to pay it if a claim should arise. 

3.  Confirm that you are receiving all appropriate discounts on your auto policy.  You may be able to find savings simply because you attended Ohio State or you belong to a local club or organization in your community.  You also may be able to have your teenage driver complete an online course that will provide you with big savings.  Regardless, it can't hurt to ask and it is much better to save money through discounts then by lowering your auto coverage limits!

My little Trump in training.

4.  Consider purchasing an umbrella policy.  Really, it is the cheapest peace of mind you can buy for your family.  A million dollar umbrella policy usually ranges in price from $100 to $300 depending upon how many sue friendly belongings you own (i.e. atv, pool, boat, motorcycle, and pretty much anything else you own that could carry the description of "fun").  That being said, you also don't have to own a boat, or a pool, or any other attractive piece of motorized equipment to need an umbrella policy.  Ever heard any stories of someone visiting a friends house for a gathering, slipping on the porch stoop on their way into the house, and suing up a storm with their former "friend".  The trusting soul that I am hates to admit it, but I promise you this happens more often than you would like to imagine.  Protect your assets!

5.  Before you buy, check the financial stability of the company you are selecting.  You can do this by visiting A.M. Best's website http://www3.ambest.com/consumers/default.asp and entering in the insurance company's name and the state.  You will be looking for a rating of A or B.  Anything lower on the alphabetical scale could mean that your insurer may not have enough funds to pay your claim if one should occur.  Financial stability in an insurance company is very important and something worth thinking about.

DISCLAIMER:  These tips are not intended to offend anyone, persuade anyone to leave their current agent or insurer, or tempt you into suing me now that you know I have an umbrella policy.  These thoughts are simply shared to test my knowledge and to help you become an educated insurance consumer.  Make the most of these tips or delete them from your memory.  Capisce?

Timeless Tuesday: Unexpected Treasures

Let's consider this Timeless Tuesday fashionably late.  Yesterday was Tuesday which really felt like Monday and today feels like it should be Friday, but sadly it is only Wednesday.  So, be it fashionably late or graciously early - our week still begs for a bit of timelessness.

Part of my delay comes from the fact that I was entrenched in some dreaded closet cleaning yesterday.  As my mom puts it, "cleaning up to make room for a new mess to move in".  She could be a prophet.   Despite that knowledge I pressed on in my mission to clean up the closets in our spare rooms so I have space to put the things that should really be in there - in there.

While digging through the years of stuff shoved in the closets, I happened upon an old box of memories.  It offered up a few unexpected treasures.  Here is a quick peak at what it held.

The sweetest of notes to my mother, from my father, just a few days after I was born.  I can't believe I've never seen this before.  Or maybe I have and I just understood it for the first time.  The heartfelt simplicity of it can't be topped.  Especially considering my arrival graced them with a third daughter.  Sigh.  Very nicely done, Dad.
 

Pretty sweet, huh? 

Here are the next gems. 

Apparently I'm already an acclaimed author.  Or I could have been if these two literary pieces weren't shoved in a ratty old box in the closet.  These stories are oddly charming (I guess birds haven't always creeped me out) and reminded me that I have always enjoyed writing.  I'm glad I have re-invented this past time for myself, but thank goodness my work has come a few steps since then...Mr. and Mrs. Creakstone is a bit of a dark tale.

Here is to the timelessness of unexpected treasures (maybe this will serve as closet cleaning motivation for some) and to being a tad more punctual next go round!