Currently, June

• Jumping on board  with The Bachelorette. For the first and last time. Mainly just for this weekly recap I found in blogland. She's hilarious. #nailedit (Does anyone else wish Clint and JJ would get a spin off show about their obvious bromance? Also, I find Kaitlynn super annoying and overly emotional)
• Sweating  my ass off because G&P's A/C stopped blowing cool air four days ago. 87 degrees upstairs + 70% humidity outside = some miserable days around here. Reliable company finally comes today, F I N A L L Y!
• That means, we're eating  cookie dough ice cream like it's our job :)
• Googling  'how long mosquito bites last' (for real) because I spent 20 minutes outside and managed to get a solid 11 bites on my legs and 1 on my shoulder. I learned only the females do the biting. Bitches.
• Wearing  my thoughts: Life is short, wear sequins (& it's on sale!)
• SO ready  for Orange Is The New Black, Season 3. If you can't reach me June 12, it's because I'm binge watching all the episodes I can squeeze in.
• ...praying  Netflix is prepared for the high volume of couch bums Friday night, lol! No but really... I hope they have a game plan!
• Loving  my first purchase from Candelles. Besides the candles smelling ahhmazing, their packaging is so clean + pretty! I placed my second order last night. Follow up post on the scents coming soon!  Fact: sign up for their newsletter and get a coupon code in your email for your first purchase!
• Hearing  Eric Church's "Like A Wrecking Ball" for the first time on the CMT Awards and remembering how much I love his relaxing music.  Plus, I'm just glad to associate a wrecking ball with anyone but Miley Cyrus *gag.
• Missing  Pepper, still. Once you have a dog, you never go back :]

Home Sweet Home.

I've probably failed lately at keeping all of my different social media outlets fully up to date on Pops' status (Bonus points to those of you that stalk follow me on all of them! You for sure already know this news!) But I finally was able to take him home from the hospital earlier this week. <insert every emoji ever made representing HAPPY here!> 

The decision was somewhat against professional advice, but as his professional favorite granddaughter I believe our final step in healing is to get back into a normal routine at home. ...that & I'm pretty sure authorities would have been part of the big picture had we kept telling him "not yet" when he'd ask if it was time to leave. Can you go to jail for busting out of inpatient rehab? Would there be better food there? I guess we'll never know...I said I appreciate their medical opinion but where do I need to sign!? And just like that, we were watching Judge Judy at 4pm, at home! 

Now bring on the flood of insurance statements and bills. #healthcareinamerica

To Do...

Since this is just the first of millions a bunch of future posts involving examples of my 'love for listing', I better explain the method to my madness. My dream world runs off of lists (Yep, you read that right! Hi, I'm Jenn and I'm addicted to breaking things down, lol!). Not so much the boring-but-necessary ones: like grocery shopping or weekly To Do lists. Those are pretty much mundane reminders that adulthood is real and happening whether you want it to or not :).

I've learned I'm most productive + proactive by combining my organized Type A side (like working best by listing things out) with my creative right-brained side (like loving to doodle, design and create). The end result is a fun, pretty-looking GOAL. For me, it's the process of checking things off and feeling a sense of accomplishment. Is it the end of the world if everything isn't finished? No. But creating a physical reminder clears my mind, helps me sleep easier knowing my ideas are written down - not floating around my brain, and motivates me to get shit done.

On any given day, I've got multiple ongoing lists/goals. Some are for long term purposes (like my 27 at 27 list of things to do over this year) or the above Summer 2015 bucket list (that I'll try to knock out by the end of August). Most of them are short term (like the colorful post-it display of stuff to do around G&P's house) and often I'll turn one single idea/thought into a list by breaking down what needs to be done or steps to accomplishing it (like posting a blog post every day for a week).

 

 

 

It just works for me. Sometimes it gets tossed once all is said and done and sometimes I tape it into my planner as a memory of what I was doing that week/day. Occasionally, (like my plan is with my Summer 2015 list) I'll use it in a mini book / scrapbook of the subject. Not only is everything organized, but it becomes a little memory of my day-to-day life. 

Now that I've revolutionized your thoughts on making a list (right?!) I hope you all continue to stick around for my crazy, because you can't say I didn't warn you of what's to come ;).  Bottom line, I like to have fun doing boring stuff. And if that means having the cutest shopping list at Target each week, just call me #winning!

 

PS. in publicizing my summer bucket list my hope is that I'm held to checking things off of it! I like summer, but I happen to love winter, so without some goals I'd probably settle and just enjoy the A/C. Plus, Pepper has black hair and he hates the heat ;)

 

xoxx. 

 

Hospitals + Rehab.

Surprise! I didn't quit blogging :)

I've been dreading this post, so let's just get it out of the way and move on ...to all the more fun drafts I've completed while pushing this topic to the side.

It's been about a month. Probably the longest e v e r for me over here in Atlanta (you read that right, still here! My April trip extended to May and will for sure enter June injust a few days). I tend to shut down and put temporary walls up whenever I'm stressed or something is wrong. It's completely intentional, drives my friends/family crazy, but it's also not permanent; I just like to have my thoughts/feelings/ideas all figured out in my own head before I'm ready to let anyone else in on them. If that makes sense? AND, I don't like to jinx anything - in case jinxing is as serious in adulthood as it was in childhood. Along with double-dog dares and saying Bloody Mary in a dark bathroom three times!

 

I called 911 on May 1st for Pops. It'd been a week of some kind of stomach virus, so he was already not feeling well :/ But after too many light falls and then some real concerns on his inability to do things he normally does, I told him it was beyond just me helping and I thought we needed the hospital. He doesn't remember it now, but for the record, I did ask his permission and thankfully he knew he didn't feel right and agreed. I knew we were calling an ambulance, but sometimes people like to think they decided for themselves (thank you college psychology!). We spent the whole next week at the hospital - long live shitty food, vending machines & sweatpants.

 

The beginning was scary. We were told he has two brain hemorrhages but no one knew exactly why it happened or what any long term damage could be. We can just assume that he hit his head during one of those falls and wait for the brain to (hopefully) naturally reabsorb the blood. Even today, we still aren't sure if he'll go back to normal and be able to do most things independently or if we will have a new normal to adjust to.

 

After the hospital, we were transferred to an acute rehab located in an older wing of a different hospital farther away. Acute rehab focuses on occupational, physical and speech therapy in a hospital setting to assist with any medical issues or needs. I don't like that it's so far away, but I'm so grateful for that kind of healthcare. Where the hospital focused solely on his health and medicine, rehab works at building independence back up. I got so frustrated with the hospital. They were 'trying' a new medicine every day, he was constantly being sedated to avoid trying to get up and get out of bed (even to use the bathroom! One nurse told me she wouldn't help him get up and he needed to use a bed pan. Wait, what!?). They weren't concerned if he ate or not or if he had been sitting in bed for two days straight. I probaby came off as over protective but Granny and I spent all day every day there to help keep him comfortable and Judge Judy on tv at 4pm. It wasn't a horrible stay, but who really loves the hospital, so my opinions are valid! Most of the staff was nice, the cafeteria lady gave me her schedule for the week and I was bringing Pops free dessert from the kitchen as a get well gift from a woman he'd never met. Everyone there was doing their job, but I don't think looking at charts and numbers is all that's needed when something is wrong, so yay for being discharged and on to inpatient rehab!

 

He doesn't remember the ambulance transport there, but I think that's just because of old age. I knew when he told the paramedics that 'they had the wrong guy because he'd requested a limo', that he's slowly getting back to normal :) The rehab schedule is like a legit part time job. He spends over 4 hours a day, 5 days a week doing all kinds of therapies. It reminds me of a preschool for the elderly - plus spare oxygen tanks and bigger dipaers in cabinets lol, it's kind of cute. The gym has a bunch of yoga balls and colored wooden blocks to work on fine motor skills and ballet bars along the walls to work on muscle strength. It can also be hard on the heart to see people without family there every day. I remind him daily that we're so lucky because so many around him are in much worse conditions. Plus he has one hell of a fan club in Las Vegas and on Facebook/Instagram (THANK YOU!). They say we have another two weeks in rehab but I haven't told him about that yet. I know he wants to be home and Granny and I think the house is too quiet without CNN turned up too loud every morning. Right now we have good days and we have not-so-good days, so with a little more hard work, patience and me telling the doctors we're not about that medicine life....I hope things keep progressing.

 

Thank you so much to everyone that has thought of and wished/prayed for Pops. I'm lucky my mom has been spoiling Pepper for the last 7 weeks while I'm here, I'm happy my sister flew out to help and I'm glad my grandparents have the neighbor next door who is just as involved as I am. We are some lucky Bartleys aren't we!

 

P.S. I wasn't there, but if by chance the nurse that tried to give him his medicine crushed into applesauce in the middle of the night may be reading this, we asked if he spit it back out at you on purpose and his exact words were "Yes. She was nasty" ....sorry we're not sorry! Next time just ask him to take a bite instead of pushing it into a sleeping man's mouth. It wouldn't be so messy :)

 

Like I say, the sun never sets on a badass!

 

Currently, April

• Wearing  this shirt and leggings around G&P's house. Note: a messy bun may or may not be part of the look ;]
• About to start reading  my third Rainbow Rowell book. If you've never read her stuff, start here. Such a simple read but so addicting. I'm a huge fan of how she writes and so far I've finished two of her books in a couple days each.
• Watching  and re-watching  Maroon 5's new video for "Sugar" & wishing they'd show up at my wedding (date: TBD, lol) 
• Laughing  so hard at this opinion of Coachella, lmao.  
• Amazed  at how fast AND slow the last 7 months have been. A piece of my heart will always be with this Metro academy class. 
• So excited  baseball is back. #GoBraves!
• Wanting to create  a mini book of lists similar to my blogging friend Monika. I love knowing I'm not the only list-lover in the world. Page one may just be a list of all my lists :]
• Playing  everyone I know in Trivia Crack (you play too? @jennbartley
• Planning  to try dinner at The Southern Gentleman while I'm here. With a name like that, I'm sold!
• Still using  the best after-shower hair product I've ever found. Smells amazing and works magic if you blow-dry. I'm hooked.
• Starting to brainstorm  Mother's Day ideas with my sister. This card and a waffle bar for brunch sounds like my kind of party!
• Missing  Pepper. Because, well duh :]

Part 2: a little G&P update

Before I get into part 2 of my trip update... today may have been the prettiest day, ever. Staying on track, of course, with the most unpredictable weather I've seen in a long time! In a world full of all the best filters, this didn't need a single one :]

 

It's been an event-filled past few days. I've always said I need to write a book. Not necessarily to be published and for the public to see, but for sure to have some of the funny and memorable stories of my life written down in one place to look back and laugh at. You know, when my memory may not be so clear on that horrible first date with whats-his-name or the time my sister and alcohol convinced me I'd look great with a pierced lip (Sorry Mom!). Finding a frog next to my bed the other night would most definitely make the book.

Before you judge, I get it. Everyone from my mom to the neighbor next door has reminded me that frogs are harmless. I get it. But it doesn't mean you'd sign up to share a bedroom with one overnight! And I'm from the desert. Regardless of any desert myth, I've never had a scorpion or tarantula in (or probably even around) my house. Thanks to land development and pest control, unless you're living in a tent near the mountains, I don't think many people ever see one themselves. But in Georgia, I swear there has to be a new breed of insect and any animal you can think of, all living directly in the woods in your backyard. That scares me so much!

I went into my room to head to bed around 2am (fact: Pops doesn't share the remote, so I have to catch up on my shows after he's gone to bed. We're all addicted to the Duggars, Royals and Married At First Sight, right? Right! :]) I saw a spot on the wall and thought "that's a huge cockroach", but getting closer I realized it was really a frog. A little one, just a tree frog, about 3 inches big while sitting and more like 6 inches stretching out. It really sucked to be the only person in the house that could handle that problem. Right then and there, I wondered how to tell my grandparents I was heading back home, haha! I seriously considered waking Pops up, but he can't move fast enough to catch a frog. Granny was actually my first thought, but nothing scares her and at this point it was literally climbing around the crown molding on the ceiling, so I just knew she'd say to leave it be - and that wasn't an option. It took 40 minutes, a phone call to a friend in Vegas to hear me use every curse word I could think of, 3 trash cans, and a whole lot of courage to catch him. Or her. I don't like things that move or jump faster than I can think. I really hope there's only one frog story in my to-be book. I haven't gone to sleep since without doing a full scan of the entire room and walls...will life ever be the same?!

 

Yesterday was a blog post writing itself. I woke up to Granny at my bedroom door saying "Jennifer, he's really gonna do it this time!" I don't even know what went through my head. Pops has and will always do absolutely anything he wants (fact: it took so much convincing to have him pay his taxes this year lol, "the IRS can just come and ask me for them if they really want it!" was his mindset). I like to think of it this way: when you have twenty years on the door greeter at Walmart, you kinda walk around life doing what you want. He's not my 89 year old badass for nothing! I follow her outside to find him behind the wheel of my new car. Mr. One Eye doesn't drive anymore, you're welcome Atlanta. "I'm just seeing what it feels like" he said. He asked to drive down the street...and I caved. I'm pretty sure that's illegal on every level, but it was worth letting him feel independent and be in control (with my hand on the E-brake!). Granny wasn't happy, but she still got in the backseat for a quick ride.

 

Ironically, he did really well. He's a huge fan of having cameras that show what's behind and next to you on the screen. He can't believe he didn't think of that himself and wants to know if he can play a movie on there as well :] I can't wait for him to pull the "one eye" card with me next. I'll have to remind him of his little rendezvous driving the car....so remind me again why you ate pie for breakfast and are making a milkshake for lunch? You can't see what?? (fact: that happened today.)

Can we love these two any more or what?!

A little G&P update...

I'm back in the South.

Don't act so surprised :] It was planned to come towards the end of April, but life doesn't always (read: ever) work as planned. So I'm here now, just in time for Spring to be in full effect and witness the most bipolar weather going on in the States. It's no exaggeration when I say my suitcase has a little of everything in it - you'd think I was leaving for a year...but nope, just a couple weeks in Atlanta, where we've experienced about all of the seasons on an every-other-day basis! It's currently raining, which was supposed to happen all of last week. But instead, last week we had 80 degree weather for a few days followed by a couple nights of weirdly cold temps, and absolutely no rain besides one random downpour on my way home Friday morning (where I learned windshield wipers are nothing but a joke on the GA-400 when you can't even see the car next to you). Coming from Vegas, I can so appreciate a nice rain (aren't they supposed to happen something like in The Notebook?!), so no real complaints over here on the current situation. Tomorrow may be a different story :]

I don't know where to begin with Granny and Pops. Honestly, the only real routine we have each day is Judge Judy at 4pm. Everything before and after that is all over the place. We usually have an idea of what we they need or want to do. But timeframes don't exist in retirement, and it's so much fun that way :D

Easter might just be Granny's favorite holiday. I woke up extra early with her that Sunday morning to share my makeup and let her browse my closet to get ready for church. I love how she asks me about the kind of makeup I use, where I got my shoes, or if she can wear one of my jackets. Proves that being a girl is fun all the way through ...80 something? I actually don't know how old she is. I'm pretty sure I ask every once in awhile, but she does an amazing job at avoiding the answer or distracting us long enough to forget why it even matters. Haha, I guess a lady never tells!

I convinced Pops to dye eggs with my cousin, Granny and I. He says he's never done it before - but I think there's no way you raise 5 kids and get a pass on dying Easter eggs. I mean, there's no way, right?! He wasn't a fan. He dipped his egg in the green dye, dried it off on his paper towel, poured a glass of wine, asked if they were raw or cooked, and started cracking his open before I'd even finished my first multi-colored masterpiece :] His idea rubbed off on the rest of us though. My cousin started eating his, I stopped caring about the cute picture of all of our eggs and started eating mine, and Granny held onto her pretty blue one for about 15 minutes before we convinced her to let us have hers as well. He doesn't know it yet, but we're so doing it again next year. If I can get him to show up to the table I'll even let him use wine to dye his egg like he was asking to do this year lmao. #thesunneversetsonabadass

We've had doctor's appointments, trips to Home Depot, lots of icecream and we're currently planting and placing flowers all over the place. I'll be back tomorrow to catch everyone up to date to now about my visit. I left out the most recent things, like finding a frog in bedroom at 2 am (currently the scariest thing in my life!) and waking up today to Granny knocking on my door saying "Jennifer, he's really gonna do it this time!" ... lol, there is never a dull minute over here :]

See y'all <3