Grandma JoJo, 1927-2013

   

Grandma JoJo (Joyce) passed away last week. She was 86.

Here's her obit.

Grandma used to make me enchiladas when I was in college. And she made the best enchiladas.

Grandma really loved my kids. She enjoyed seeing them. She even came up to Lawrence for Evey's birthday last year, which was a real shock.

I wasn't as close to my grandma as my cousins were, or my second-cousins. Maybe because, like my sister, I moved away from Wichita when I was 19. Most of the rest of the cousins stayed in that area, so they could visit her more frequently. 

But I was her only grandson, so I had that going for me. And I know she was impressed that a half-Mexican could grow so tall.

No more worries, Grandma Joyce. Rest in peace.

I like that song!

Adro was driving home with Boydee today and Bush's "Glycerine" came on.

Bub busted out a complete sentence when he said, "Mom! I like this song!"

Evey's first day of 1st grade -- with Dad and Bub

Boydee, Seth and Evey on Evey's 1st day of 1st grade.

Here is a shot of the three of us on Evey's first day of 1st grade. Good times. I'll post the photo of the three of us from last year as well, so we can see how much the kids have grown (and how much weight I've gained.)

Boydee, Seth and Evey on Evey's first day of kindergarten. Peace!

WOW! Look how much both of them have grown. Evey is up to my armpit now. And Bubba has grown a full-on Rod Stewart hairdo. So cool!

Pic from the dance recital

This photo is so old... Was it from May? April? (Checks photo info...) JUNE 14th! Wow. She's changed so much since then. Crazy.

Don't know if I posted any of the photos from that weekend or not. This summer went fast.

Evey told me today that she's "starting" to enjoy 1st grade. That's good news.

Boyd was sick for a few days, he's finally eating again. That's good news.

I got sick last night, but I think I've shook it by now. That's good news.

***

Had a few beers with Neuty tonight. Good times. We laughed, because we have so little in common some times... yet we're good friends.

For example, Neuty hates all things sci-fi. Thinks comic books are dumb. UFOs? Stupid. Season two of ALF? A farce. (I made that last one up. Everyone knows season two of ALF was epic.)

But we have sports, beer and women in common. We both agree that: Sports are awesome. Beer is good. We married good women.

And that's a good foundation for a friendship, right there.

When the aliens land, Neuty owes me a beer.

***

The September issue isn't done yet. This stresses me out.

***

I'm in the middle of four straight weeks at home without any business travel. I don't think Adrianne knows what to do with me. Hell, I don't know what to do with me -- I keep setting my plate outside the front door whenever I'm done. And it's still there in the morning.

***

"It's been the ruin of many a poor boy... and God, I know... I'm one."

Spotify is awesome. House of the Rising Sun, baby.

Up next: Dire Straits, Sultans of Swing.

***

Syria.

The Z and me

Z, you've been a good ride. 12 years, 99,000 miles, a lot of hard turns and zipping through traffic...  we even got to drive on the Kansas Speedway once! Your 8 cylinders have been the best ride I've ever had, including that time I rented a new Corvette. Pure horsepower, that's what you are.

I don't think the Camaro will be mine for much longer. I think our time has come to an end.

So why, if I love the Z so much, am I planning on selling it?

Multiple reasons. I don't think two kids fit very well in the backseat of a Z, first of all. Secondly, Mom still has Dad's truck... and it's a decent truck (a V8 Dodge Ram with a few issues) and I feel like maybe I should drive Dad's truck for a few years. It's just sitting there at Mom's house, and that depresses me whenever I see it there. Dad and I took that truck fishing, you know?

Once I get Dad's truck, I'm sure no one will be happier (and yet a bit melancholy at the same time — guy code) than Copy Jesus and Neuty, as I won't need to borrow their trucks any more.

And, yes, if you ever need help getting a jukebox or pinball machine to your house... it's my turn to be that guy with the truck. I'm prepared to offer help -- Lord knows I borrowed trucks more than a few times in the... 18 years I've been driving Camaros (the Z is my third Camaro, but first Camaro with the Z 28 package.)

It was a good run. And it'll be nice to have a truck for once. I look forward to the first time I casually throw my golf clubs in the bed of the truck, as opposed to trying to figure out how I'll get my clubs to the golf course...

Oh, and if you've coveted my Z for years and years (you know you have, and I don't fault you) the Z Blue Books at $8,800. It's a 2002, 35th anniversary edition, with 99K. I'm looking to get something near that ballpark. I've owned the car since it had 9 miles on it, it's never been in a wreck and for a long time it was invisible to police. (Now it's just mostly invisible, so at times you have to watch your speed.)

Cheers, Z! You've been a heckuva ride.

Can I read to you-you-you?

One of Boydee's favorite things to do these days is to sit on your lap and have a story read to him. His favorite books are "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and "Twinkle, Twinkle." He also likes "baby's first word" books -- books where there is a photo of a ball, and the word BALL is written underneath it.

What is really cute is Boydee's way of asking us to read to him. He'll grab a book and start trotting towards you (Boyd's walk right now is hilarious... he falls back and forth on each leg when he's holding a book, looking like Frankenstein.) Then he'll say, "Can I read to you-you-you-you?"

We think this comes from us saying to him, "Can I read to you?"

But he doesn't know how to rephrase it to "Can you read to me?" So instead he added another you, thinking "you" is the right pronoun for "me."

I thought this was funny, so I started making fun of it, and adding a bunch of "yous" in there. "Hey Bubba, can I read to you-you-you-you-you-you?" Then he jumps in my lap with a smile for a story.

So now he's adopted the multiple "yous."

It's become the favorite phrase over here at Jones casa, along with "Dinner is ready!" and "American Ninja Warrior is on TV!"