myJaxon

Yes, you’re reading that right. We’re moving yet again. As most of you should be aware, the job that brought us back to Michigan laid Jesse off in August. Well, he’s finally found something else…only it’s in Troy, Michigan. That means we get to move across the state. The PROS - we’re staying in Michigan, we won’t get as much lake effect, we’ll be closer to PJ for a change. The CONS - we’re moving again, I’m 6 months pregnant and we’re switching doctors, we’re moving again. But hey, Jesse has a job and I’ll have a better chance at finding something out there than here in Grand Rapids.

Now we’re on the hunt for a new apartment. Any recommendations?

SaveTheInternet.com Coalition is holding a protest rally against the “Michigan Video Franchising Bill” (HB 6456) in Lansing tomorrow. Here are the particulars:

WHO: SavetheInternet.com Michigan
WHAT: Petition delivery to Michigan Senate
WHERE: First floor Capitol Rotunda, Michigan State Capitol, Lansing, Mich.
WHEN: Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2006, 12p

Wish I could go, but alas it’s a little short notice for me.

Thanksgiving is this week and I’m sure people are thinking about it, but you know that’s not whats really going through their minds. What really is going through their minds are the big sales that everyone has Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I could really care less about the sales, but it does bring to mind Christmas shopping. Usually I love going shopping for everyone else. I like getting them the things they want; however, this year, it’s kind of depressng me. Jesse still hasn’t found a job yet (although he did just have a second interview, so there is hope), so our shopping budget is not as great as I like. I’ll definitely be getting my family something, but it’ll be a little more homegrown than retailed.

The thing that depresses me the most is that I won’t be able to shop at my favorite location. Last year was the first year that I was really able to shop there and the results were great. I never saw the product I purchased, but I know it was received with happiness and some relief. The place I like to shop at is Child’s Play. It’s an online charity that was started by Penny Arcade in 2003 to help raise the spirits of children in children hospitals around the country. The idea is that each hospital creates a wishlist using Amazon.com and gamers could purchase items off of the list and everything gets shipped directly to the hospital. This way, the hospitals reap 100% of the profits and they get what they need, not what someone wants them to have. The items on the wishlists range anywhere from a $2 book to a $400 Xbox 360, so anyone’s budget can afford a contribution.

So, if you’re looking for a good charity to donate to this holiday season, check out Child’s Play.

Damn, I’ve already started thinking about our next camping trip. This may not seem odd to you, but we’re not going until September 2007. Now it seems odd, doesn’t it. What got me to thinking about it was Ian. We’re going to need a babysitter for four days and three nights. This will probably be the first time Jesse and I would be away from Ian - there is no way I’m bringing an infant camping, that’s just asking for trouble. Ian would be 7 months by then. That’s not too soon, is it? Although, I have no doubt I will have all sorts of offers to babysit for us that weekend (thinking about my mother and sister).

I’ve also started thinking about things we could do different this time around. Hopefully Jordan, Beth, Brad, and Erin will be up for it again (they said they would be, but it’s not like it’s soon); however, we did learn some things that we can’t do again. One being that we each buy our own snacks. Granted, this isn’t what got me thinking of food though. I was actually thinking about bread. We easily went through three loaves of bread the four days we were there (two of those days consisted of driving the 3 hours to the campsite). I was also thinking, we wouldn’t have to reserve our campsite months in advance. I’ve always heard that finding a campsite between Memorial Day and Labor Day can be a pain (which is true), so we opted for the weekend after Labor Day and it was dead, more or less. We could easily pick out the campsite we want to go to and than wait until Labor Day weekend before making the reservation. Technically, we wouldn’t even need the reservation, we could just show up. The more I thought about this, the more I realize how much our plans could change if we did do this. And I’m not thinking negative changes either. I mean, think about it. We’ve decided on where we’re going camping. We haven’t made any reservations yet, but we know we want to stay in Manistee. The weekend before we’re plan to go on the trip, we check the weather. Oh no! It’s going to rain the entire weekend. All we would have to do is find another campsite in another part of the state that doesn’t have rain in the forecast. Or if it’s suppose to be really cold, we could go farther south instead of going north. The entire weekend wouldn’t be contingent on the fact that we had the reservations already, because we wouldn’t. The more I think about this, the more I like the idea.

I’ll probably forget about this come next summer when we really start to think about it again, but that’s why I’m putting this here. Between Jesse and I, one of us should remember it. Hopefully. Now I want to go camping again. I had forgotten how much fun it could be until I went and did it again.  Now I can’t wait until we go again next year.  And who knows, maybe more people will join us next year.

I cannot believe that PJ is pregnant.  She was here over the weekend for Game Night II and shared her news.  She says she’s around 11 weeks, but they haven’t had the ultrasound yet.  That’ll put her due date sometime in April/May.  That means Ian and PJ’s young one will only be a couple of months apart.  That is soo cool.  We were talking about it and it seems surreal.  Thirteen years ago (give or take), pretty much exactly thirteen years from this december, PJ and I met when our fascination with Jonathan Brandis and seaQuest came out at a Rainbow Grand Family christmas party.  We’ve gone from the horrid teenage years, going through college, marriage, and all of life’s other obstacles to the one thing that will never change - children.

Congrats PJ/Trish!