What Jeremy got from me...

As many of you know, I have an 8-yr old Jeremy from my previous marriage.  Jeremy is a wide-eyed, precosious kid with a HUGE heart with an incredible capacity to love.  That is just one of the things he got from me, and I am so blessed beacuse of it.
Unfortunately, he also got a few other things from me:
He got (apparently) my height (or lack thereof);
He got my cynicism (which I think is great sometimes, but the kid really needs to learn some "tact.");
He got my asthma.  The last gift from me is the curse...Jer can be perfectly fine then go into a wheezing fit.  It sucks.
So when you you see the wheezing, short kid who doubts all that is there before him, THAT'S MY BOY.
I am so proud of that little punk!

My five minute shot at fame

They say everyone has 15 minutes of fame.  This morning I had five minutes to capture mine.  I went to an audition for a LDS-produced movie, where everyone had been emailed a sample reading that they had to do at the audition--except me!
I walk in, and they ask me, "what part are you reading for?"  I had no idea!  They gave me a sample, and I had 30 seconds to prepare.  So, there I was, on camera, stumbling over some scriptural text which I was seeing for the first time.  The funny thing was, I had a feeling they were going to have me read something so I actually brought a monologue from Rocky with me....Maybe I should have read that instead...
Yeah, my life may be a sitcom but I can't even past the damn audition to shoot the pilot.

Two for the Price of one--next, my love of wrestling

Time for your bonus blog: I LOVE PRO WRESTLING.  There, I admitted it.  I have loved it since I could watch, I have adored it since I went to first see Bruno Sammartino with my brother Harvey at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh.
The first thing you will tell me is that it is fake.  As my son Jeremy would say, "duh!"  Look, it's a "male soap opera," although not as well-written.  There used to be a wrestler named Ken Patera who would say )when asked about its authenticity), "For those who believe, no explanation is necessary.  For those who don't, no explanation is possible."
I simply love it, and watch a 24/7 wrestling channel if they had one...I love the humor, I love the bravado, I love the acrobatic wrestling moves.  I would BE a wrestler if I wasn't only 5'4" tall and 46 years old.  In fact, my first writing job out of college was writing free lance for a Pro Wrestling magazine.
So, in my next life, I will be World Champion, wearing a mask, spinning belt, saying "You can't see me," as I give then a stone-cold stunner.  Now off to watch WWE (then TNA, then Ring of Honor, then some AWA Classics, then...)

Two for the Price of one--first up: Big Fatty

I have been neglecting my baby, my little blog baby that is....So today you get two for the price of one (okay, I know, I know, it's free!).  First up: how I am becoming increasingly "chubby."
Yeah, I see my waistline growing steadily....Personally, I don't think I could lose the weight even if I really wanted to.  I have tried gyms, diets, giving up my favorite drink of choice (soda), but my body likes food, and I am fine with that.
My sister sent me some pics the other day of when I was much younger and MUCH thinner...It depresses me to look at those shots, knowing that I will never be that thin again.  But hey, I like my Big Macs, I like my soda, even if my body is slowly becoming a Mormon Blimp.  Maybe I need an intervention....Okay, off to eat four pancakes for breakfast.

Super Baby Shopping Spree!

We have been on the hunt for a few baby items--last night we found a bonanza!  Yes, a "smorgasbord" of baby delights!  Yes a multitude of muffin essentials!  Yes, a bonanza of baby beautification bonuses!
We only went to this lady's house as we were looking at a crib (which we bought!), but apparently she had a few clothing items she wanted to part with...just a few--about 200 of them!
Now normally I would say that I could take this stuff or leave this stuff, but they were all priced from 50 cents to only a dollar!  Yes, we had discovered a "tag sale" right in our own neighborhood...
So we looked, and we looked, and we looked and we looked some more...Hats, and booties, and socks, and onesies...Coats and overalls, and sweaters and bathrobes...dress pants, christening outfits, even loads of toys!  A person could go crazy with all this stuff--and we did--for two and a half hours!  We walked away with loads of great outfits for little Baby J__...boy is he going to be stylish!
The more I think about it, the more I realize that I need clothes too...Hmm, maybe I can go back and see if they have anything in my size...

Daddy (x2)

Yesterday I was reflecting on how much I do for Jeremy....I buy EVERYTHING for him, whether its clothes, or books, or even a lunchbox.  Well, life my friends is about to get a bit busier.  When Baby J________ arrives, I will be providing for two little sets of mouths, heads, and butts.
I am actually looking forward to having to buy diapers again every week, along with tiny little clothes that you could exchange with a doll...(I just hope not a CABBAGE patch doll, as it appears that Baby J____ is going to be a BIG one).
And Jeremy gets a baby brother!  How cool is that?  Watch out girls, the Aronson boys will be coming for ya--in about 8-10 years....Have a great day!

On the hunt...

Sorry, my beloved followers...what is supposed to be a DAILY blog, skipped a few days, as I am "on the hunt," for a new job that is....
Yesterday I interviewed for a lovely little firm, that what lacked in real compensation, made up for in dank tiny office space...Hey, it had personality, but personality aint gonna pay my rent.
Have you ever seen the movie Wall Street?  Today I interviewed at their offices.  Yes, big-time players, big promises of big money, to go along with 12+ hour days, no benefits (hey, everyone is making so much cash, we buy our own!), and starting pay (FOR SIX MONTHS!) of less than what I pay out each month to our landlord.  Cie Le Vie!  The search continues....I hear that the zoo is hiring....with me working there, I would just be one more chimp a barrel of monkeys.  See ya tomorrow folks.

Reflecting on the last leg of the race...

So now we are in the last 6 weeks of "our" pregnancy....Baby J__ (name to be revealed later) is growing rapidly, and everything appears to be well.  BUT.....(isn't there ALWAYS a  But?) I still am no closer to finding a job, and money is as tight or tighter than usual.  We live basically paycheck-to-paycheck, no savings, and debt slowly accumulating.  I am hoping to find a new (better) job, or atleast ANY job that gets us ahead in this situation.  I want to provide for and have the best life for Jo and the baby, but there are days when I get very scared and worried as I don't see how our situation improves anytime soon.
But, it could be worse I guess...Our bills get paid (eventually) and atleast we have a roof over our heads....If I wasn't Mormon, I would probably be playing the lottery all the time...Well, onto the "second" job....It's a living folks.

Today is the BIG DAY

I never thought I would see this day come--Jeremy is getting Baptized today...For the uninitiated, Mormon children get baptized when they turn eight years old, unlike many babies of other faiths who get this ordinance done when they are around six months.  This is because we believe babies don't know the difference between right and wrong yet, but by eight, the child can correctly choose the correct path and continue to make the choice to "follow the right."
This was a struggle...I went back and forth with his Mom before finally getting the go-ahead.  It is truly a blessing, having been baptized myself, and then getting to turn around and do the same for my beloved son.
A lot of our closest friends from church will be there, and I know that Heavenly father will be watching over him today.  I love Jeremy more than words can express, and this is the least I can do for him in this life, to prepare for him for the next one.

I hope this is a day he will remember for the rest of his life.  I know I will.

Feeling Frustrated

Very few things frustrate me, although Jordan would probably disagree with that...Some of things that really "get my goat" include big messes in the house (it's an OCD thing!), and money.  Money irks me.  I like to have it, but when I don't I get angry, depressed nd frustrated.
I often say, "I wish I was rich, instead of so good-looking."  Never were truer words spoken.  As I approach the elimination of my job, and the appearance of my newborn son, I become more and more worried everyday.  We don't have money to buy baby clothes--hell, we don't have money to buy the crib!
One thing is for sure--Baby J will definitely will be well loved and cherished, even if we are doing it on a pauper's salary.
Message/mantra for the day:  if you have it cherish it and don't take it for granted.

It's Dress-Up Time!

Sorry gang life got in the way again yesterday.
My favorite holiday is rapidly approaching--Halloween!  I have had so much fun dressing up over the years, and gone to so many great Halloween parties...
A brief list of some of my outlandish, craziest (and most "button-pushing") costumes...

In college:
A "Jewish Nazi;"
A "Turd"
The Greek God "Testicles" (pronounced Tes-Ti-clees);
Christopher Reeve (believe me, you don't want to know)
"Tubbs" from Miami Vice (the girls in the dorm painted me in blackface to match my "perm.")  Yes, I did have hair once!

As I got older:

A Pirate (yawn);
A Ghost; (double-yawn);
A Disco Dude (hmm, better);
A woman (now we're talking!);
A PREGNANT woman (yeah!)
A Nun (the Jewish faith still hates me for this one);
A Steeler (of course)...

What will I be this year?  Hmm....still pondering, although I tend to do something which compares to what Jeremy is wearing, and this year he will be a vampire....Maybe a werewolf with a receding hairline?

Have a great day!

On days when I am feeling negative and cynical, I know I will NEVER:

lose any of this weight;
get rid of my back pain;
get to visit any country (ever) outside the United States;
get a job that I actually enjoy (and pays well);
be rich;
be famous;
be rich and famous and not so good-looking;
be well endowed;
own my own house;
retire with plenty in the bank to enjoy my Senior years;

thank goodness this is not one of those days...

:-)

Ready for a new week

Tomorrow starts a new week....plenty to do between two jobs, and a new baby to get ready for...The Aronson household is getting more and more exiting around here.So much to do, some many things to buy--a new crib, a new stroller, and me losing my job in three months.  But as they always say, "God will find a way."  Meanwhile, we have to keep laughing, smiling, and find the humor in all of this...Lots of laughs planned for this week's blogs gang.

Jeremy's Big Day

In one week, Jeremy will be getting baptized.  For the uninformed, many faiths practice baptism, but in different ways at different ages.  For instance, in many forms of Christianity, babies get the ordinance done when they are about six months old.  In our Mormon faith, children get this done at 8 years old, as we believe by this age they are old enough to begin to understand their relationship with God.
I can't tell you how proud I am of having him get this done, and even prouder of being the one to get to baptize him.  I had "discussions" for months with his atheist mother and she finally relented.
This will be a glorious day--and I promise--no standup, no jokes, no silliness on this, HIS day.  Just lots of kisses and hugs.

A weekend to reflect

It should be a relaxing weekend...No church, but this is the time of the year when our LDS Leaders give inspirational talks and messages at out "General Conference."  So we will flip on BYU-TV, relax on the couch, and hear words and thoughts that we hope will lift our spirits and bring us closer to God.
That being said, I'm pooped.  I haven't slept in in months, I feel like I'm over-worked, and I am wearing thin.  But, thou must endure....Baby J is coming in two months, and have to find my second, third, fourth, and fifth wind.
By the power of Greyskull, here come He-Man!