just my vacation...

friday:
helped this beautiful family move into a new home...

the redd family

friday night:
this finally happened...

the hobbit

saturday:
trip to the cincy art museum...

johnny and pinocchio

impromptu photo shoot in the parking lot...

me and the BGE

saturday night:
beer...

falls city

and friends we don't see nearly enough...(pic stolen from facebook...  not from saturday night)

lisa and jenn

sunday:
brunch with hk, johnny, jen and coleson jay...

super baby

johnny's to help him put together this new year's resolution...

johnny's torture machine

sunday night:
fellowship of the ring

lotr

monday:
louisville to see these little cuties...

hk, eliza & britt

early bird dinner with johnny...

mmmmmmmmm

and now my new year's eve:

curl up with hk...

sleepy head

watch movies and eat junk food...

partay

happy new year everyone!!!

2013 is going to be amazing!!!

just junk...

random things found while cleaning out my truck...

last year for hk's birthday i showed up on her doorstep in the wee hours of the morning with little baby cokes...  guess one of them stayed behind in the truck...

baby coke

one night while at the pub my dad sent jen to dick's to get some darts so we could play on the patio...

darts

ummmm???

baby doll arm

just subway sandwiches...

one year ago today i was sitting on the couch

when this subway commercial came on

subway

here's how the conversation went - 

(the following is a dramatic reenactment...

in my head the role of hk is played by helen hunt...

i'm sure in hk's head i am ryan gosling...)

me: i guess i have to share all my sandwiches with you now???

hk: what are you talking about???

me: well now that you are my girlfriend i have to share my food with you...

hk: ummm i don't remember you ever asking me to be your girlfriend...

me: seriously???  i have to ask???  like we are in 7th grade???

(of course, since our first kiss, i had already been planning our 50th anniversary party in my head)

hk: yup!!!

and the rest 

as they say

is history...

this past year has been the most amazing, wonderful, challenging and inspiring year of my life...

the amount of shoes i own has doubled...  from 2 pair to 4...

it has been 324 days since my last cigarette...

i have cut down, WAY down, on my drinking...

i can now pair a button down, collared shirt with a sweater...

i own a brown belt...

i have learned that when hk says she's going to buy a couch - shut up and get the old one out of the way - because it's happening...

i have learned patience...  kind of...

i have gained some amazing friends and family...  i could put this on the list a million times...

i saw neil diamond in chicago...
random phone calls about the hatfields and mccoys is to be expected...

i have started running...

i am (attempting) to lose weight...

i am eating food that's actually good for me...

i wake up with a smile on my face...

(in my best justin timberlake voice) she's brought my silly back...

i am in the process of learning when to just shut up...
using 2 new towels every day is perfectly acceptable...

i've learned that you never really know what is going on in hk's head...

we are peas and carrots...
the list could go on and on and on and on...

all of these things have been because of hk...

people tend to think that hk is changing me...

that i'm making all of these changes FOR her...

when in reality, i'm making them BECAUSE of her...

that line in as good as it gets - 

when jack nicholson says "you make me want to be a better man"

that's how i feel...

not the man part...

just better...
i hope that at our 50 anniversary party i still get butterflies in my stomach when she walks in the room...

but the best, most wonderful thing that has come out of all of this

is i have learned what

real, honest, unconditional, for always and the rest of ever love is...

just sunrise... just sunset...

for my parents

farmer john's morning commute

i think of all the

sunrises and sunsets

you no longer see

and i wonder 

if you see them

if you had something to do with them

if you are a part of them
if you play a part in creating them

just for me

so that 

i will always know you

i will always remember you

i will always have you with me

no matter where i am...

friday night drive home

just another ordinary sunset...

or you can call this one
look heather - another picture of a sunset!!!

i don't have the new fancy i phone
the one where you can take a panoramic picture
that looks like you took it in a fish bowl
so you'll just have to use your imagination...

the drive home last night...

just changes...

you know that spot
on your dresser
or nightstand
or bathroom sink
where you empty the contents of your pockets every day???
everybody has one...
some are the same spot every day,
some are through the entire house...
i can usually follow a trail of
heather's things through the house
to find her at the end of the day...
i usually make a few bucks along the way...
she leaves money
i find money
finder's keepers i say...
anyway
just last year,
on a monday morning
my spot would have had
miller lite bottlecaps
and
cigarette butts...
and the usual monday morning conversations would have been
"how was your weekend???"
"oh my god,
i got so hammered saturday night!!!"
but today,

my spot had:
my blue pen (always)
chapstick (always)
hair tie (always)
change (sometimes)
the wrapper from gerber blueberry puffs (never)
string that was used to tie jelly worms to sticks for a 6 year old's fishing themed birthday party (never)
and my monday morning conversations sounded more like this
"went to B's first fall t-ball game saturday and he hit a home run!!!"
"saw coleson jay saturday night...  of course i have a picture!!!"

"went to B's 6th birthday party sunday at the park...  it was fishing themed and it was awesome!!!  all the kids had a blast fishing in the lake!!!"
"the twins are walking!!!  took them a while to warm up to me, but by the time we all left, they were smiling and laughing with me..."
what a difference a year makes...
and you won't hear me complaining one bit...

just babies...

my dad was the only one
in the room when my mom died
she would do this thing
where she would inhale
then stop
and everyone in the room
would hold their breath with her
(you are doing it right now aren't you?)
and a few seconds later
after what felt like an eternity
she would exhale
well
this one last time
she inhaled
and nothing
no exhale
but dad said
while waiting for that exhale
he heard a baby cry down the hall
it was just after midnight
in hospice at st joe
not a lot of babies up and about
but he heard this one loud and clear
just as mom left this world...
dad always said they should put
the oldest
sickest patients
on the same floor as the newborn babies
nothing like a
fresh
brand new
no hate
no prejudices
little thing
to put things into perspective...
i have been blessed to have 8
yes eight
8
OCHO
of these little things come into my life
in just the past year
admittedly
i don't get to see all of them
as much as i'd like
and one
one who was just born a few days ago
he'll be seeing a lot of his aunt Bee
but no matter where they fall
in big Rhonda's life
they are all loved
and precious
and i look forward to watching them
all grow up
i look forward to high school graduation announcements
and standing in my kitchen
after opening it
saying to heather
can you believe this
how old are we???

ian and hudson

ian and huddy
heather's my friends were blessed with not only one but two
beautiful boys
which is great because when we visit
heather and i don't fight over getting to hold/play with the baby
you know you want to chew on those cheeks...

cameron

cameron
i work with his dad
used to work with his mom
don't get to see him in person very much
but see pics and hear stories from his dad all the time
he's gonna be a heartbreaker...

london

london
i work with his mom
this pic was taken about a month ago
he has grown so much in just a month
he still doesn't know what to make of me
laugh or cry...

zane

zane

big Z

his dad is a server at the pub

his mom is a bartender at the pub

so of course

he's family

beautiful blonde Blonde BLONDE hair

and he loves lemons

keeps him from getting too fussy...

owen

owen

my cousin's little boy

still can't believe that she's old enough

to have one of these

but here he is

strutting his stuff

hello ladies...

mia

mia
i work with mia's mom
she's just a month old
she's already got her dukes up
she's ready to grow up surrounded
by these boys...

coleson jay

coleson jay
i will admit
i am a little biased on this guy
he's the brand new baby boy
of two of my very best friends
and i love them both so much
and now
there's this little guy
and
O
M
G
look at those lips...

me

me
i was little
and cute
once...

something about the fresh start
these little things
don't know anything
but what we teach them
and i'm happy to know
there are 8 new little humans
in big Rhonda's world
that are being taught
nothing but love...

i'll be waiting for my graduation invitation...

just coleson jay hawkins...

i never
really
truly
believed
in love at first sight...
sure, sometimes there's an instant
connection...
but love???
no way...
but then i got this pic from madison...

the first time i would really see coleson jay...
looking up at scotty as if to say
"and who might you be?"
and i was in love...
laying in bed at 12:something(ish)
crying...
he was the most beautiful thing i had ever seen...
and i thought to myself -
this is as much as i could possibly love
another human being...
but then...
then i met coleson jay...

i held him in my arms...
i watched his little lips move...
i felt his body rise and fall with each breath...
i felt my own heart skip a few beats when i looked down at him...
and i fell even deeper and deeper in love...

coleson jay hawkins -
you aren't my kid...
you aren't even blood to me...
but you might as well be...
i love you oh so very much...
it's been just over 12 hours
that you've been on this earth
and already you have changed my life...

just my imagination...

most of my drive home yesterday
was filled with npr
reporting on julian assange
in the ecuador embassy...

picture it:
london 2012
ecuador embassy
diplomats doing diplomat stuff
which i imagine
is parking in no parking zones
and
laughing maniacally while
tearing up parking tickets
and julian assange strolls by in the background

big fuzzy slippers
green plaid joe boxer  pants
shirtless
towel thrown over shoulder
hair in shower cap
toothbrush hanging out of his mouth
shampoo and conditioner in his hand
on his way to the shower...

it's a long drive folks...

just saturday...

tried all morning to pull pull up this telespar
there was a trellis attached
got that out no problem
but this telespar
is apparently attached to a 500 pound
slab of concrete
in china
i tired
gramps tried
brady tried
nada
it would move just enough to make you think
you were making progress
but could never get it
so now we have tiki torch holders
to help light the way...

flipped over this rock
wasp nest
wasps everywhere
i screamed like a big fat black lady
ran to the garage
found my new best friend

gave the wasps a little shower
and decided to go work someplace else
just for a bit
when i came back about
an hour later
one wasp came up to me
and in his little waspy voice said
"hello...  my name is inigo montoya...  you killed my father...  prepare to die..."
so i turned my attention to

mom's birdbath
obviously it had seen better days
time to put the old girl down
just about fell apart in my hands

in between all of these
there was
pulling up landscaping timbers
pulling up rebar
pulling up bricks
pulling up weeds
pulling up my pants
and
cutting the grass

been busy today
and now
now i relax
the best way i know how
the american way

black lab by my side
hand down my pants
cold pbr
olympics

U
S
A

just a house...

i believe that every house has a soul
a purpose
it needs love
and care
and attention
just the way we do
this past weekend
my house got just what it's soul needed
chaos
sisters were in town
two sisters
three kids
this house hasn't experienced this since
danny and emily helped mom plant flowers in the rock garden
robert was heard numerous times saying "throw me again" to anyone that would listen
nicole was perfecting her "i'm a pre-teen and you're an idiot" look on dad
not ten minutes after they walked in the door
crash
and
uh-oh
were heard
in that order from hk's bathroom
just a mirror
we've got more
and so it began

it's not easy being so cute...

one of sister's favs...  so much going on in one little pic...

future heartbreaker...

chalk outlines...

more people came out on saturday
i was called a
poo poo head
a doody poo poo head
and
irene

another kid
another dog
more chaos
more broken things
more love
more food for the soul of this house
and me...

hints from big Rhonda...(office addition)

be very careful when writing
hard lock
that's lock with an L
might end up looking like something completely different

you are welcome...

just facebook...

facebook has been
both wonderful
and crappy
all at the same time...
we all know the great parts...
finding old friends...
i think it's a way for people to
still connect with my dad through his page...
it was what brought hk back into my life
and for that
mr zuckerberg
i will forever be in your debt...
and let's not forget the pictures...
oh the pictures we see...
but lately
facebook has taken a negative turn...
for me anyway...
i don't want to get on facebook
to read how people can't support gay marriage...
that it's an abomination...
god and all that jazz...
i know -
just block those people,
delete them as friends...
it's not MY friends...
i was thrilled when i saw this

MY little country town
MY humane society
was going to be at PRIDE...
yay!!!
but then
someone has to get on there
and say something negative...
and then
two people liked it...
you can't find a better place
than a humane society's facebook page???
and then
i find myself getting mad...
thinking
and saying
mean
hateful things about these people...
people who judge me without meeting me...
and what do i do???
i judge them without meeting them...
but i do it...
i get mad...
so mad...
so rather than continuing to
go somewhere that makes me mad
that upsets me...
i'm done for a while...
there are eleventy billion other ways to stay in touch
here's 7
let's give those a shot for a while

859-221-3989

859-548-9011

jbreier24@gmail.com

jbreier@statebeautysupplylex.com

2738 ballard road
lancaster, ky 40444

big rhonda's world

big rhonda runs???

call
email
write
stop by (bring beer and your own toilet paper)
i'll try to update this blog more often
going to the dr next wed
so hopefully i'll be updating my running blog

so for now
no more facebook for big Rhonda...

just a fund raiser...

well...  i just received this email...  looks pretty serious...  i better hold a bake sale or car wash or something...  i don't have this kind of money...  any help would be appreciated...

Good day,

I want you to read this message very carefully, and keep the secret with you till further notice, You have to know who I am, where am from till I make out a space for us to see, I have being paid $150,000.00 in advance to terminate you with some reasons listed to me by my employers, its one I believe you call a friend, I have been monitoring you and following you closely for some times now and have seen that you are innocent of the accusation. Do not contact the police or FBI or CIA or any secret agency or try to send a copy of this to them or tell a friend or family or anyone, because if you do I will know, and be pushed to do what I have being paid to do, beside, this is the first time I turned out to be a betrayer in my job.

Now, listen, I will arrange for us to see face to face but before that I need the amount of $200,000.00 and you will have nothing to be afraid of. I will be coming to see you in your office or home determine wherever you wish we meet, do not set any camera to cover us or set up any tape to record our conversation, my employer is in my control now. You will need to pay $80,000.00 to the account I will provide for you, before we will set our first meeting, after you have make the first advance payment to the account, I will give you the tape that contains his request for me to terminate you, which will be enough evidence for you to take to the court (if you wish to), then the balance will be paid later.

You don't need my phone contact for now till am assured you are ready to comply good.

Lucky You.

Felix Yusupov.

just trying to catch a sunrise...

so i got up early this morning to go to the cemetery to watch/takes pictures of the sunrise with my friend 

loyd a house

well...  it was too cloudy for a sunrise...  i mean - it still happened...  but no pretty pics of pretty colors and shadows and such...  oh well....  i'll try again some other time...  i did however manage to get these...

 

my friend loyd...

 i  love that william blakeman almost always has a flag or flowers...

 but then i realized that my tree...

 

this tree...

and

this tree...

was gone...  this tree that meant, means so much to me, is now

this...

and this view

just isn't the same...

and this weed

just isn't as pretty...

so i stood there and had my moment...  yeah -  i cried...  i don't know why i did...  it totally took me by surprise...  maybe because that tree had been a focus of mine from the beginning and all of a sudden, with no warning, it was gone...  i think we all know what that feels like...

so anyway...  i had my moment and moved on...

 

 

 made my way to the back of the cemetery...  found some new friends...

i know it's kinda blurry...  they were far away...

i noticed that there was one brown/white cow in the midst of all the black/white cows...  i wonder how many times that poor little fella heard 

how now brown cow???

i bet he hated all those other cows...  so while i stood in a cemetery at 7:00 on a saturday morning, by myself, laughing like a fool, i figured i probably ought to head on home before i got myself into trouble...