12 of 12 - May 2009

The Joni Blog has been on hiatus -but we are back today with a new episode/entry. It is time for 12 of 12. New to 12 of 12? Go here for the rules and background.

After accidentally taking April's 12 of 12 off (and pretty much taking off blogging in any regard as well), I was really geared up to come back with a vengeance for May's 12 of 12. Unfortunately, today was one of those days that was better off forgotten and not documented in pictures. Still, I wanted to try and crawl out of my uncreative hole and do something.

Basically, spent the day going to and from the doctor's office/hospital twice, with 6 hours of fast and furious work squeezed in the middle. Not a lot of photo ops, but I tried.

7:40 am - On the road to the doctor's office. Left early since they are working on the road....

8:05 am - but still managed to arrive a little late. Got to see the emergency helicopter land though.

9:25 am - Through with Dr. visit #1 and headed back to work. Tried to just hold the camera up and snap as I drove. Ended up with a lot of photos of blurry greenery, blurry construction barrels and the barns above.

5:10 pm -No time to take any pictures while at work and the traffic was too crazy headed back down to the hospital for my x-rays and blood work. But, I did get one shot while waiting on the technician to come back (aww - x-ray machine looks like it has a puppy face.) I think I spent another 12 of 12 in this room. In fact, I think I've spent several 12 of 12s in this building. It has been a sucky couple of years health wise.

6:20 pm - Almost back home again. This is the bridge that connects two of the buildings at the big D.

6:30 pm - So, I get home and realize I have 7 more photos to go, and I'm not planning on doing anything for the rest of the evening except laundry & dishes. So, here is a quick review of some of the new things I've done around the house. Moved the couch yet again in the living room. (now facing the fireplace.)

6:31 pm - Made a Family Tree (with the help of a do-it-yourself kit given to me by my friend Kristie.) Still have some more to add to some of the branches, but figured I could at least hang it while it was in progress.

6:32 pm - Topped that with photos of my parents and grandparents.

6:33 pm - Hung a huge print (4' x 5') of the Atlanta Airport circa 1940 with the help of my very talented friend Dale.

6:35 pm - and accompanied them with some other old airline related prints from the archives.

6:40 pm - and finally finished the dining room. My piano bench was previously covered with that green & gold vinyl stuff from 1970. Thankfully, my neighbor Katie was able to recover the bench so it would match the room (and so I wouldn't stick to it in the summer anymore)

6:42 pm - and she also made curtains for the dining room and tea stained my old white table cloth to match. So, now I'm finally ready for my first dinner party in the new house - well, as soon as I learn to cook or find the name of a great caterer. Or maybe I'll just order pizza and buy lots of good beer and hope no one notices.

12 of 12 - March 2009

12 of 12 on an average Joni day? Boring.

12 of 12 on a work day? Boring x 2.

12 of 12 on a really busy work day? Boring x 10.

12 of 12 on a really busy work day and you have an allergy headache that has prevented you from sleeping for the last 2 days? Boring x infinity.

Still - here we go.


Just after midnight - wishing my dear friend Ali Happy Birthday on the Facebook. I liked how the photo sort of has that gauzy effect, like all the aging female celebs seem to have when filming their close-ups. Not that Ali is aging and needs special effects - she is still young and lovely.

Sometime before dawn - Playing airport shuttle for some friends. I live so close to the airport I can usually get them there and be back home in bed in under 15 minutes. It would have been a great photo op had I thought about 12 of 12 before I pulled away from dropping them off. Still, I tried to grab a shot of the airport as I passed, but it is hard to drive, focus and click all at the same time. Still, liked this one anyway.

6:50 am - Was able to slow down enough at one point to get the Fly Delta Jets sign off in the distance.

6:52 am - and home again.

6:53 am - The full moon over my house.

8:50 am - Arriving at work, watching the planes go by. Just to the lower left of the trees on the right you can see the airport control tower in the distance. I can also see it from my front porch at home.

5:10 pm - My arch nemesis and the creator of my raging allergy headache.

5:15 pm - The headache and lack of sleep was killing me, so I ended up heading home a little early and was greeted by my neighbor's dog Jackson. I had no treats, so he lost interest in me quickly.

5:30 pm - Lying in bed, trying to fall asleep, but I'm so sleepy that I can't fall asleep. Hoping the Benedryl will help......

5:31 pm - until then I'll roll over and stare at the ceiling fan.

6:25 pm - OK - I finally fall asleep and then I swear I just heard someone scream. Whatever it was, it woke me up and so I went to eek out the front door window, but nothing seems amiss. OMG - I think I have officially leaped over my mother and turned into my Grandmother.


6:30 pm, 8:14 pm, 9:27 pm, etc. - This was my view for the next several hours while I dozed and woke up about half a dozen times through the evening. Still have a headache, which I anticipate should last until about October.

12 of 12 - February 2009

Hello and welcome to this month's 12 of 12. New to 12 of 12? Go check out Chad's blog for the details. However, beware - Chad has had a rough few months after being diagnosed with testicular cancer and his photos of late can be a little squirm inducing - especially for the guys. I think his documentation of his journey has been at times heartbreaking, other times funny, and always inspiring. But, it ain't for everyone, so just wanted to put that out there.

So, away we go.....

12:01 am - After having a horrible bout with leg cramps earlier in the evening (and I know Mom - "Eat a banana") I'm still trying to get through Wednesday's episode of Lost on the TiFaux. Here we have Jack, Ben (not Henry) and Sun arriving to meet with a mystery woman.....

12:02 am - when out of the darkness comes ......... Desmond!! Love me some Desmond!!!

12:10 am - Finally thru with Lost, I decide to check emails and Facebook one last time before I'm off to bed and dangit! I see that my friend Laura's husband has beat by High Score on that major time-sucker, Bejeweled Blitz - how can I sleep now knowing that I no longer have the high score???

8:40 am - Had to get into my "Decor Drawer" to pull some extra paint samples to take to my new friend Susan after work this evening. She has bought and older home a few blocks over and is renovating it while living in it. God bless her heart. (Left hand side is my bedroom paint & soon to be drapes. Right side is my dining room paint and soon to be drapes.)

11:02 am - Finally arriving at work after taking a few hours of personal time. The lobby is decorated for Valentine's Day. I really need to see about bidding on the job where you put up balloons and posters around the building every time there is a celebration - I bet it pays more than mine does.

11:12 am - Checking some weather forecasts before finalizing some additional off day slots for the upcoming holiday. As long as the green isn't over Atlanta or New York, it should be OK.

5:55 pm - Getting ready to leave work, I realize that I have been far too busy to take any photos during my short day, so I tried to find something in my office that you haven't seen before. These are sort of new - I won them in a trivia contest we had at work. The topic was "Things about Minnesota" and the prizes were items from a huge "Minnesota" basket sent to our building from our new coworkers in Minneapolis. These are photos of pink & white lady's slippers (What is the State Flower of Minnesota, Alex?)

6:20 pm - Here, I am just turning on to the street that has given me a life long phobia. When I was growing up, my mom and grandmother use to jokingly call one of the local streets "Bad Luck Street" because of all the terrible and tragic things that either happened on the street or to people they knew that lived on the street. The one time I ever remember being on the street in my 20s, something bad happened to one of the people I was with. After that, I wouldn't go down that street for anything. Even after I moved into the community and met people who lived on the street, I would make excuses to not attend their parties because I was irrationally afraid of the damn street. Finally, about two years ago (and after a lot of therapy), I started making small attempts to at least go as far as the first driveway, and then turn around and get the heck out of there. Since then, I even managed to go to a party at one of the houses, although it was tough to stay very long. If I hadn't had Katie with me, I probably wouldn't have made it more than 15 minutes. Anyway, all this long story to say -

6:21 pm - guess where Susan lives????

It turned out that she was stuck in traffic, so all I had to do was drop the paint chips off in her mailbox and then make a break for it. But I hope that she has only good luck in her new home, because she seems like a seriously awesome person - an not just because she has the same Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Mythology-heavy TV obsession that I do.

6:23 pm - Made it safely to the end of "Bad Luck Street" in one piece. And there is my office on the other side of the tracks.

7:25 pm - Watching last night's episode of Law & Order while I prepare dinner. Is it just me, or when they post this at the beginning of an episode does said episode almost always seem to mirror something that was in the news about 6-8 weeks ago???

10:20 pm - About to start on the 12 of 12 blog and notice my BF Traci's photo albums that I still haven't finished scanning (Sorry Tray! Will finish this weekend, I promise!)

So, thanks for playing and I'm off to bed.

12 of 12 - January 2009

Sorry - I'm a little bit late on this month's 12 of 12. What is 12 of 12 you ask? It is a photo assignment created by the wonderful Chad (who needs your good thoughts and prayers right now) where you post 12 photos from your day on the 12th. Mine are usually pretty mundane and lame. Want to see some better ones? Go here and see Helen's. Her photos are awesome (although, I think that living in England gives her an unfair advantage in finding better subject matter.)

I didn't really think about it being the 12th until I was already at work, so I forgot my camera and had to use the camera in my new phone. Since I can barely make a call with the dang thing, it took some time to get the hang of the camera, so this month's 12 of 12 my be a little shaky.

So, away we go.

8:40 am -I still don't have a 2009 calendar, and as I mentioned, it took me a while to realize that it was the 12th and not the 15th. I was starting to get a little upset that my paycheck wasn't direct deposited yet.

8:41 am - Two calendars in my office, and neither one of them is right.

12:45 pm - I wasn't really able to get everything done over the weekend, so when my boss called in sick and our afternoon meeting was cancelled, I asked if I could take a half-day. It was actually sort of sunny and warm when I left. Above are the new townhomes they are building a block down from my building. They look pretty nice, I just hope they sell as we have a few too many empty condos in the area.

1:35 pm - I stopped by my neighbor Lauren's to pick up a workbook for a program we are doing at church. She was kind enough to pick one up for me when I missed church on Sunday because I was feeling sick. Had a nice little visit with her, and then back on my way to do some errands.

1:40 p.m. - Stopped by Chapman's Drug store to pick up some prescriptions. Girl needs her Prozac, you know? Chapman's has been a Hapeville establishment for over 80 years, and they have a neat collection of old medication bottles and other memorabilia.

2:00 pm - After Chapman's, I drove through and picked up a Diet Coke at the Original Chick-fil-a Dwarf House, and other Hapeville landmark.

2:20 pm - then down to Costco (woohoo) for some gas.

2:30 pm - then to Barnes & Noble to check out the leftover calendar selection.

2:35 pm - which can be sort of random. But, they were also 75% off, so beggars can't be choosers. I ended up with a calendar of National Park WPA posters from the 1930s & 40s. They were actually very pretty and I think after the year is over, I may frame one for my home office area as the colors would work great in a couple of my rooms.

3:20 pm - On my way back home, passed the Hapeville First Baptist Church. Seems like I often have a church in my 12 of 12.

3:25 pm - and then finally making it home. I was so tired when I got home that I ended up taking a nap that lasted until after midnight. It was quite a nap.

So, there you have it - another exciting day in the life of Joni.

Happy Birthday Nanny Bug

Today would have been my grandmother's 100th birthday.

Annie Ruth was born December 30, 1908 in Atlanta , GA. She was the 15th of her father's 17 children, and the 10th of 12 that her mother had had with him. While it would seem easy to get lost in a crowd that size, my grandmother nevertheless managed to stand out.

Like when she modeled in the catalogues for the local ladies clothing store J.P. Allen's while still in her teens.
She married my grandfather Reid in 1929, and my Dad followed a year later. According to the back of this photo, this is my dad, but I think it looks more like my aunt Nancy. Although, I can still see a lot of Dad in that face as well. So who really knows.

While her first name was Annie, she went by her middle name Ruth. She was not fond of her first name, and when a state employee mistyped it as Anna on her driver's license one year, she did not correct them. I think Anna gave her the air of sophistication she desired. Of course, a few years after this photo, she became a grandmother and thanks to my brother, the first grandchild, she was dubbed Nanny Bug and it stuck. By the time I came along - the youngest of all of the grandchildren - I didn't even realize that she had a real name other than Nanny Bug. After we lost her in 1990, the grand kids all chipped in and had Nanny Bug added to her tombstone. (Forgive us - We are all kind of crazy that way.)

Nanny Bug and my other grandmother Cleo were as different as night and day - Nanny Bug was a city girl, while Cleo was from the country. Nanny Bug never left her room without full make-up, high heels and hair spray, and Cleo could not have cared less about that stuff. But in spite of their differences, they were each other's biggest fans. Here they are together at a family event.

I'm so thankful to have had both of my grandmothers as long as I did, but part of me wishes that they were still here today to celebrate this milestone. Nanny Bug would been perfectly coiffed, as usual, and would obviously have had on a pair of expensive high heels, even if she needed a walker to get around in them.

Love you Nanny Bug. Have a Happy Birthday.

Joni & Santa: A Retrospective

For nine years, my Mom dutifully dressed me in my finest Christmas wear and took me to see Santa at the Rich's at Greenbriar Mall.

1963 - So, this is where it all began. My first visit as a 3 month old in 1963. I'm clearly making noise and irritating Santa, while my brother Steve is a picture perfect boy scout. This picture pretty much sums up my family dynamic.

1964 - Still making noise and being irritating....

1965 - although, admit it - you'd cry too if Santa was letting everyone see your underpants.

1966 - I can haz a Christmas Tree Candy???

1967 - Dude! He gave me candy again, and I wasn't even good this year!

1968 - Hey, if my brother can dress up like a boy scout, I can be an angelic little choir girl. (The only departure from the Greenbriar tradition - this one was taken at the Downtown Rich's.)

1969 - I think that I'm slowly starting to notice that the beard is a fake.

1970 - Now this Santa sort of creeps me out. I think he's sort of sketchy looking, don't you? But, on a happier note, my aunt Charlsie made that top/dress for me. It was one of my favorites.

1971 - And this Santa just isn't even trying - I mean, his mustache is below his top lip and his belly is pushed up above his belt like man boobs. Come on dude, this isn't a tough gig - just sit in the chair and make sure your fake hair and stomach stays in place.

Just after this one, my stupid, mean classmate Ronnie Powell ruined Christmas forever when he told us all the truth about Santa. I hated that kid.

I hope you enjoyed my trip down memory lane with Santa, and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.