Author: Jen Rios

Thank you!!! ☺️☺️☺️

First of all, I can’t express my appreciation enough for all the birthday messages, texts, emails, and phone calls that I received yesterday! Birthdays  are a pretty big deal for me!  I’m not even sure why. Sure, the milestone birthdays like 18, 21, 30, but I’ve added in “24 karat” and 36 is also a big deal! That’s what I turned yesterday.

I was groggy as my son helped me get out of my bed before he got ready for school but once I was seated and belted into my wheelchair, he nonchalantly said, “oh, by the way, happy birthday mom.”   I grumbled my thanks and tried to get my head right for my birthday!

Just before he left for school, I had to do what I swore I was going wake him up in the morning with and took a deep breath and sang:  “Today is my birthday!” Like in 16 Candles:

Sean left for school and then the phone calls started:  My brothers know how silly I am for my birthday!  My brother, Dave, was the first to call and let me know that it was “My day!”  I repeated it just like Sully did. It was a Disney Channel movie we saw when we were kids.

Brothers went away to summer camp and it was the younger brother’s birthday and he exclaimed that, “Today’s MY day!”  The kids play a trick on him and he runs away crying but I don’t even really remember the rest of the movie I just remember Solly saying that.

Then, he reminded me that I am the, “Grand Chawhee.”   This is from another movie we saw when we were kids.   We laughed about this one too!

I had received some birthday messages on Facebook through the night but then they continued! So many! I tried my best to respond to everyone I received and I think I did but as I was responding to those messages and text messages and phone calls, I just pooped out!

I get so emotionally overwhelmed be it happy or sad that I fall asleep. Not like a nice, “Oh, I have to lay down.”it’s slump over in my wheelchair. I don’t know I’m doing it until I wake up. I did that twice! I was just so happy that it was my birthday and it was recognized by  so many people!  Sean came home and asked me how my day was and I told him that I got overexcited and passed out twice. He laughed and told me I was just like a little kid!

Well, I guess I was!

My Mom brought over a dozen  balloons:

Later, my friend and her daughter brought over BDub’s and some ice cream cake (Mint Chocolate Chip) and they and my son sang me happy birthday.   What a great birthday!!!  It was low-key but it has taken me pretty much all day to physically recover from.  Grrr!!!  It was TOTALLY worth it! I am now closer to 40 than I am to 30 but I’m OK with that!

ALMOST Forgotten Tune #16

So, I name my cars.  My friend Lauren told me in high school that if the gas tank is on the driver’s side, the car is a  boy. If the gas tank is on the passenger’s side, the car is a girl.   Every car I have bought or leased has been a girl. As I wrote my post yesterday, I couldn’t remember what my black Malibu‘s name was. It took me a minute but then I remembered her name was, “Natasha.”

A car will get its name based on the first song I hear on the radio when I first start it.  I tried to remember the song I heard that I would name my car, “Natasha.” It took me a minute but then I remembered Natasha Bedingfield. I looked up her album and searched the song list. I came across this song and realized this is probably the song I heard!

It seems vaguely familiar that I had this CD in my purse when I got my car. I say, “purse,” but  when I carried one,  it really was an army green ammunition bag.

Back when one used to buy CDs, I would get one and listen to it in its entirety and choose my favorite songs regardless of radio play. At the time I got my car, I have decided that this song was my favorite on the CD but it had not received radio play at this point. I just popped the CD in the car before I started it so it  and  pressed skip until it played as the car was completely started.

I had completely forgotten about this song and when my son came out of his bedroom to go to the kitchen this morning, I played it to see what the video looked like and I asked Sean if he remembered the song. He said that he did and that I always used to play it. So there you have it.

I seriously forgot about this song but now it’s on my blog so I can access it anytime I want.

ALMOST Forgotten Tune #15

I guess I am feeling nostalgic lately. Yesterday, my son drove me to the health food store for soap and I needed to go to CVS as well. It was kind of cold yesterday but I am lucky that my son can get me into the car and drive me anywhere. I still have to be there, because he just finished segment two  of driver’s training.

Because it was so cold, I stayed in the car and he just got out to ran into the store to get what I needed. Before he did this, I would tell him to, “Turn my jam on.”

I hadn’t heard this song in a while and it makes me think of  my second apartment and when I  first leased my black Malibu.   Her name was Natasha.   I still could drive back then and I was more able-bodied. Maybe that’s why I’m so nostalgic for that time in my life! That, and this song!  Because, “Everything [I] got, best believe [I]  bought it!” 😄😄😄

Tolliver OR “Ta Tollege”

I watched the Pistons game with Sean last night. A couple of things I have realized from watching that game last night:

1.  I am NOT a basketball fan!  I think it’s too fast!  Because it moves back-and-forth so fast I can’t even see the basketball when it is shot (especially when the net doesn’t move)!

3.  I couldn’t get over the fact that the Pistons were wearing navy blue!  The last time I watched a Pistons game, the Pistons were wearing royal blue!

Like this:

It just proves that I have not watched Pistons basketball, (or any basketball for that matter) in a long time!

Sean was into it and he let me know that I really stink as a basketball watcher! It’s NOT like football! The thing that I constantly heard, that squeezed my heart, was when the announcer called Anthony Tolliver‘s name.

Every time I heard it  I was reminded of Sean when he was about two years old. When he was two, we still lived with my parents while I finished my bachelor’s degree. I worked part-time at a credit union and went to school full-time. I went, “to college” while my parents watched Sean.

One day, Sean and I were sitting on the floor in the living room. His Little People, some of his books, and his plastic bugs were sprawled out on the floor. The Wiggles were probably playing on the TV.  He grabbed his little book bag and as we sat on the floor he started packing it with various Little People, plastic bugs, and books.

As he was finished packing and zipped his little book back up I asked him where he was going. He looked at me and said, “Ta tollege.”  He stood up and I followed him through the kitchen and to my parents’ side door.

There are three steps down to a landing and the side door and there’s a door between the kitchen and the stairs going down that is divided horizontally. Sean opened the  bottom half and closed it behind him. As he did this I told him to have a good class.  As I looked down at him or the bottom half of the door.

He must’ve stood on the landing for no more than 30 seconds before he opened the door again and told me that he  was back. I asked him how class was and he told me, “Good!”   I love this memory! I can still hear him say  in his cute little voice, “Ta tollege!” with his book bag packed for the “necessary” supplies for school. He had seen we leave for college with my book bag packed so many times  and it was so cute for me to see him role-playing in this way!

ALMOST Forgotten Tune #15

ALL of my ALMOST Forgotten Tunes are random songs that I hear or think of that have a specific memory attached to them.   They all make me smile and/or gasp!  ALMOST Forgotten Tune #15  is no different.  This one made me cry! This memory came to me this morning and I spent the morning and the early afternoon alternating between laughing and crying.

I didn’t hear the song but remembered it. It was the summer of 2001 and I had just turned 19.   I was pregnant and the only people who knew were Sean’s dad and me.  I was at Sean’s great grandparents house. We were in the backyard and I was just thrown into the pool with my clothes on. His great grandpa started up the barbecue as I played around in the pool. This song came on the radio and I vividly remember seeing Sean’s great grandpa  shirtless, in khaki shorts, and tennis shoes swinging his hips to this song.

I loved that man so much!  I remember laughing with Sean’s dad  at the fact that this, “old man” was dancing to this, “really cool song”  not knowing that we  were seeing him do this.  I have no idea what made me think of this song and this memory but I had to look it up on YouTube so I could post it, share, and will be able to easily access it and always remember it with fondness!

 

ALMOST Forgotten Tune #14

I heard this tune awhile ago while I waited, in the car, for my mom after ATI one day. I’ve been in a funk for a while so I have not posted it but I thought about it to again today.

I was reminded of the bus ride to Washington DC in eighth grade. When I was in eighth grade, I got solos for the Christmas play and I had some pipes. I would sing often! Because of my youth, I really didn’t care what people said so I belted out songs all of the time!, probably to the annoyance of some people.  I think about that fact now and cringe and shake my head.

When I heard this song on the radio not too long go, because I was by myself, I remembered all the words so I belted them out (NOT as well as I used to!)

It surprised me that I could not hit a lot of the notes but I haven’t really been  in the singing  mood as of late. I guess I need to work on that! Hearing this song brought back so many fond memories and it made me smile (even though I could not sing it as well as I used to!)

 

1.26.18 – 2.16.18 OR MRI

So, I had my normal visits to ATI on Mondays and Fridays from January 26th to the week before February 16th.  February 16th was my appointment with Dr. Moore so I thought I would have been cleared to go back to Barwis. My time at ATI was a lot of fun before the Super Bowl. Sean has always told me that I am a, “bandwagon-er”  when it comes to the Super Bowl and for this past Super Bowl, I was on the Eagles bandwagon.

First of all, I am NOT a Patriots fan so I would’ve gone for anyone NOT the Patriots but I vividly remember the Eagles being Phil’s team.  I really liked Nick Foles’ story and I liked their showing at the championship game the previous week. Once they won the Super Bowl, I got my Super Bowl champions shirt which I am not ashamed to say is my new favorite shirt because it is SO comfortable!

The whole time I was at ATI from January 26th, Greg stretched me out very well getting me ready to go back to Barwis. At my appointment with Dr. Moore on February 16th,  I mentioned that my knee was still popping out of its socket and it still hurt. Dr. Moore cleared me to go back to Barwis and told me that if it continues to pop out or is really bothersome that I should give his office a call and they will set up an MRI.

I was so excited to get back to Barwis that I called Elle immediately, that day, and asked to get fitted back into the schedule.  That weekend, my knee popped out multiple times and it was excruciatingly painful! I called Dr. Moore’s office to schedule an MRI that Monday.  I was frustrated that my knee is still a problem but I’ve felt in my core (and in my right knee) that something was still the matter with my knee.

Today, a woman called me from the DMC to make the appointment.  As she asked me the routine, clarifying questions, she asked me when my birthday was and wished me an early birthday because it is my birthday in 10 days. I am scheduled to go to Harper Hospital on St. Patrick’s Day for my MRI.

I want to be back at Barwis so badly that it hurts but I want answers to why my knee is still popping out more. I remembered that it popped out before my surgery and I explained to Mr. Langford how my mom would pop it back in and he said that she was,  “Hard-Core.”   Well, she still pops it back in when it pops out and she is STILL, “Hard-Core!”

Until my appointment for my MRI, I will lay low in my house as I have been for the past 18 months until I get my answers. I will call Monday morning to make a return appointment with Dr. Moore to discuss my MRI results and I can’t believe this is STILL going on.

I talked with Sean briefly that it would be pretty terrible if I needed a third surgery or fourth procedure on my knee.  I’m not concerned about the scarring but only the recovery time.  I just want it to STOP popping out because it is pretty painful! Since before surgery,  and after my injury, it probably has popped out about 100 times!  It is excruciating each and every time!

March 2018 Faves

I’m not sure what made me think of my second apartment and this CD:

but I thought about it as I washed dishes one evening at my house.

I used to listen to this CD (back when one used to buy CDs, in the days before streaming) as I got ready for work in the Fall and Winter of 2007.   I was still teaching English back then.  I wasn’t sure of the names of the songs that didn’t get radio play but I especially loved this first one!

I was never saved from the darkness and in retrospect, it wasn’t even darkness, rather dusk. I didn’t know how dark it would get in the years to come given my health but I still managed to buy a house and get my Masters degree so I’m not trying to have a pity party.

Sean  came into the kitchen as I was  washing dishes and listening to  this CD on Apple Music. I’m not sure what song was playing but he remembered it, told me that he liked it, and asked who sang it. I  kind of laughed as I told him that I used to listen to thisCD all the time in our second apartment.   I appreciated that he has a memory of these songs that played a huge part in my life some 11 years ago.

Well, since I’m not out of my house much so I haven’t really heard much newer music, I  had to share at least three songs and I absolutely love the first line of this one!

These songs really show my age but I’m OK with that.  Today marks the beginning of “Birthday Month” for me, the last year of my mid 30s and the year where I will be closer to 40 than I am to 30. 😄😄😄

Super Bowl LII

So, I usually don’t say which team I want to win the Super Bowl because they usually lose; historically, I ALWAYS pick a loser.  I saw this commercial just before the game started and I dug it because I wanted the Eagles to win.

I wasn’t really blown away by the commercials so much but then I saw this one!  I have a thing for Tyrion Lannister after binging Game of Thrones this past summer.  Peter Dinklage is a great actor! Couple that with Morgan Freeman and Missy Elliott?! This was my favorite Super Bowl commercial!

Then I saw this commercial in the second half! This one definitely was my favorite with Peter, Morgan, and Missy in a close second. I think it’s the lip-synch battle part that I love!

I couldn’t stop laughing because I love the movie, Dirty Dancing so much and seeing Eli dance was too, too funny!!! shared this commercial on Facebook and the Bud Light commercial on Facebook and Twitter but I thought to put all three on my blog so I can watch them and laugh anytime I want!

February 2018 Faves

So, with the snow and my healing knee, I haven’t been getting out of my house much.  My son has been taking me to ATI and we listen to his playlist on his phone. Here are some of his song choices that I really dug.  I never really thought about the fact that songs that I listened to repeatedly can become songs that he likes too:

“Say It Ain’t So”  Weezer

Or

  “Chariot”  Gavin DeGraw

Another time, he was driving my car and I have XM radio  (I got it in grad school)  so we listened to backspin (because he likes songs that came out when I was in high school) and jammed to some songs:

“My Boo”  Ghost Town DJs

“Ms. Jackson”  Outkast

We listened to some DMX and some Notorious B.I.G. but they are a lot more explicit than I remember them being so I’m not going to put them on my blog!  I am kind of excited to see what other songs he has on his playlist in the future and jamming to some old school tunes is fun with my son because I still know all the words! It kind of impresses him!