Are You Guys OK?

Are you Californians okay out there? Mika says the fires aren't near you, and that you would call if you had to evacuate. Then he gave me a lecture about not freaking out every time I heard "Southern California" in the news because... Well, I think that's when I quit paying attention and just nodded my head while I thought about what he would look like with a ZZ Top style beard. Still, I'd love to actually hear from you.

My cell phone number is 417-529-7467 and our home number is 417-208-4218. Mika has to leave his phone at work from now on because he and his coworkers got in trouble, and he can only have work calls or other AT&T calls during the day. You can call my phone any time you need him. Please don't ever hesitate. Also, our stupid home phone will come up as "Withheld" or "Blocked" or "Private" when we call you because the idiot phone company has it set up that way and can't seem to fix it. (The lady I talked to about changing it tried to transfer me to another department three times but it kept ringing back to her desk. You would think one of the questions on the application for a telephone company would be: Do you know how to operate a telephone?)

By the way, Mika came in 2nd place at the annual Halloween costume party at my sister's place losing out to my parents. He was Jesus. When we walked in, I kid you not, the raging party fell almost completely quiet before letting out a collective "It's Jesus" gasp. It was just his hair down and a white sheet with a rope around the waist. (Ok, he wore clothes underneath, even though I insisted Jesus did not wear Gap Jeans and Adidas.) I dressed like myself and told everyone I was Satan. People kept pulling on my dreadlocks really hard because they thought it was a wig. Everyone kept asking if I was supposed to be "Predator" or an "Orc." I didn't even have any make-up or a costume on! My dad and step-mom were dressed up like Southern aristocrats that looked all beaten to hell and back. They were Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Mika's costume worked out really well for my brother Luke and me. Mika had to be the designated driver. We were secretly hoping we'd get pulled over so I could video tape Jesus executing a field sobriety test.

Little Luke decided he wanted to be Poseidon this year. We Googled images of him. Apparently, there are a few very famous statues of Poseidon... completely nude! We had a good laugh over that. He used a really awesome long, white wig, a white robe tied with a length of rope, and a white beard Mika fashioned out of a swatch of rabbit hair he had in his fly-tying kit. Then they built a triton out of a broom handle a piece of jigsawed wood. It turned out so much better than I expected! I'll post pictures as soon as my sister emails them to me.

Mika has just started a pretty big project over at my folks place. They hired him and my brother to completely remodel their living room. He'll be working every weekend and a couple of evenings a week for about a month. He's been on a "project" kick for a while now, so it works out. He just knocked down a wall between our dining room and the spare bedroom so we would have a bigger area for lounging. Then he built us a HUMONGOUS avairy for the pet room. I'm not kidding, this thing measures 8 feet long by 6 feet high by 2 feet deep and has three sections in it. There's room for all 12 birds and then some. Our breeding pair of cockatiels just laid another four eggs that will hatch mid-December.

Luke and Mika's cat ran out in the road and got hit by a car. It's dead now.

We have a new inside/outside dog named Zeke. He's a St. Ber-doodle. He actually just looks like an enormous Schnauzer. He's been fantastic so far. He's another rescue dog.

We are probably going to have to get rid of the goats. They jumped the fence again and Mika got a ticket from the city. He has to go to court on Thursday for "allowing 2 goats to roam at large." I'm taking the video camera for this!

Well, that's a not-so-quick update from the Missourians. I hope it finds you all well!

Jessie

K & J Halloween Costume

Jorel has more pictures too, but this is the only one I had. I didn't get to spend actual Halloween with him, but Deni, her fam, and Grandma and Grandpa did, so I guess they have some other pics. I'll have to post them when I get them!

Costume Craziness

So I think everyone should post their Halloween costumes here...


Jaana was the ultimate nerdy Disneyland tourist (notice the amazing Mickey Mouse fanny pack she found!) Paul was a very effeminate (gay) golfer. Jake was a greaser. He got totally into the character and just sold it! Doesn't he look awesome? Don't worry, the cigarette was borrowed!

Burbank Update

A few of you were here not to long ago. It was a lot of fun - Disneyland, the Griffith Park Observatory, lots of food, movies, etc. But I sure did wish Mika's family were here too. You can't really call it an IFR without them. So now, I guess they will have to plan a special trip to come visit me. I bought an Annual Passport for Disneyland and I need to use it a LOT (because those things are not cheap) and I am relying on them to visit so I can plan another trip. I also have so many other places to take them that they'd enjoy. So they just really need to plan a trip out here. Look how much fun it can be:

You guys all got that? Mika, Jessie and Luke need to plan a trip to California? So that I can show them a good time?

Just wanted to make that clear. :)

Anyway, things here have been good. Jake didn't start his job yet (still processing his paperwork, background check, fingerprints, blood tests - its quite a process when you get a city or medical center job). But he should be working by early November. *Fingers crossed* He is learning his way around the bus system though, so that's an adventure. It gives him a little more independence. Except when he gets lost and I have to drive to Pacoima to pick him up. Haha. Not the best neighborhood. He's also enjoying his new apartment quite a bit. Just loves having his own space. It must feel good after living out of a suitcase for the last 6 months.

Paul is back working on season 4 of Gene Simmons Family Jewels and is enjoying it for the most part. He got a couple other job offers (from The Bachelorette and Dancing With The Stars) but feels bad leaving now after all the time he's put into this show. Plus its just so easy at this point, he's not quite ready to take on a new challenge. Once this season is over I'm sure he'll be on to something bigger and better. And hopefully closer to home. Today there was a fire in the canyons and it took him over 2 hours to get to work. What a nightmare. Its days like this that we get the itch to move somewhere quiet and remote. That kind of traffic is seriously such a deal-breaker!

I have been spending my days at home with Gadoo. I've been trying to stick to a routine so I don't just sit around all day. And the days are just flying by. It seems that the school photography job hasn't quite panned out. I got paid for the one day that I worked, but haven't been back since. So I'm still looking for other things. And HomeView still gives me a little bit of work. Next week we are doing our first Trade Show, so that should be interesting.

Paul and I also just enrolled in a photography workshop together. We had our first class last night and it was good. It's a little long, but we get assignments every week and it definitely gives us a focus for the week and a reason to practice taking pictures. So I'm really excited about it. I hope to find more classes like that out there, but they can be a little pricey, so we'll see. This week we have to take portraits, so I think Jake will be modeling for me quite a bit since Gadoo is just about useless.

I guess that's all for us. Hope everyone else is great! Have a good night and a pleasant tomorrow. -PB & J & J & G

3 Cheers for Jaakko!

So I think pretty much everyone knows by now, but I just wanted to write a little blurb about how proud I am of our very own Jake Nuge. He has recently not only acquired a new job at a very prestigious company - UCLA Medical Group - but he has also saved up enough money and made enough friends that he was able to put a hefty down payment on a nice apartment here in Burbank with 2 roommates! He will be working as a clerk in the giant medical offices and living with a couple friends named Graham and Jason. He will have to take a shuttle/bus into work, but not having a car will save him some major dough - especially with the way gas prices are now. So that sort of paid off in the long run, I guess!

When he came to stay with us just 5 months ago, I really did not foresee this type of thing happening. Obviously, since the plan was for him to just stay a few weeks. But we kept him busy all summer and as things started slowing down, he made that big decision for himself to just take a chance. And so far it seems to be paying off! I am just tickled (as Jessie would say) that he is taking a stand for his life. And I know since he is taking these first steps, we will all support him in his venture and help him fill in the blanks wherever he needs. So congratulations to my big, little bro. May he continue his journey into adulthood with faith, a little luck and some major fun!

Love,
Jaana

P.S. The picture is from the day of his job interview - sweet, huh?

Adding to the Family

The day before we left to drive to Utah, our mating pair of cockateils, Victory and Triumph, laid two eggs. While we were gone, they laid three more. Last night Mika and I were calculating the possible hatch date. We figured it could be anywhere from today through Tuesday-ish. Well, this morning I woke up to Mika five inches from my face screaming in his loudest possible stage-whisper, "THEY'RE HATCHING RIGHT NOW!!!" Normally, it takes me about 45 minutes to open my eyes all the way and actually start forming sentences after I wake up. NOT TODAY!

As I write this, one baby has for sure completely hatched. Victory is still sitting on all of them to keep them warm, so we don't know how many have actually come out yet. The proud new father--Mika, not Triumph-- is pacing through the house reading The Cockateil Handbook, preparing food, calling anyone who's awake, and asking me a million questions he knows I can't answer. I've never seen him so nervous!!! Uh-oh! He just got the camera!

He'll probably have called all of you long before you ever get a chance to read this post, but he'll "play it cool" when he talks to you. So, I just wanted to make sure you got an accurate representation of this wonderful moment in our home. I'm sure we'll be posting pictures soon.

We miss you guys!

Jessie

Picture 064

My favorite group picture is definitely picture 064. First of all, I don't feel like I'm playing "Who's Not Finnish?" (see picture 084) Also, in picture 064, it looks like Paul and Jake are smitten in love and Jorel can't quite figure it out. Laughed till I almost cried...

Jessie