By The Numbers...

I travel.  A. LOT.  

Growing up, you're always told, "get a good education, get a good job, and travel on someone else's dime."  

Well, I've taken that to heart....literally. 

So.  Here.  Is.  The.  Recap.  By the {numbers}

52 total weeks in a year.

47 of those weeks I'm expected to work.

22 of them spent on the road.

46% of my time was spent away from my home.[humph]

25% of time away from home is what my job description says. [sigh]

102 nights spent in a Marriott Hotel in Florida

10 additional nights I spent cheating on Marriott with Sheraton's, Omni, and the Drake in Chicago.

350 advisors visited over the year

2 1/2 vacations

and I'm glad to report, just

ONE more week on the road!

The feeling of coming home gets sweeter and sweeter, everytime.

For the record:

Marriott is the BEST hotel chain with the BEST reward program

Southwest is, hands down, the most economical airline, but more importantly, you matter to them and they feed you on their planes!

Hertz treats GOLD members like Kings and Queens

and Window seats will never go out of style!

Chuck & Willis : Do It Tech Style

Franco is a Texas Tech Alum and I.....well, I went to The University of the Incarnate Word.  It just doesn't have the same ring to it.  Our colors were red and black so I've adopted the Red Raiders as my team.  The Raiders made their way to San Marcos to take on Texas Tech and we went to tailgate! 

Before we did that though, we were college kids again.  We hung out on "The Square" in San Marcos and I truly felt old because I kept saying, "there used to be this bar...."   And the response I'd get was, "Jordan, that was 8 years ago, a lot has changed since then."  What hadn't changed was the amount of college kids and the amount of beer.  Wreck 'em Tech!

So after lots of adult beverages, we set our alarms to tailgate.  The last thing I remember, before my head hitting the pillow, was my alarm telling me we had 2 hrs and 6 minutes to sleep.

Here are the pictures from that day...

And in case you're wondering, Tech did Wreck 'Em, to the tune of 58-10!

The Adventures of Chuck and Willis

As many of you probably don't know, Franco and I rarely call each other by our birth names.  Many of them are your common pet names, Babe, Darlin, Muffin (which was narrowed down to Muff after a certain birthday weekend), Pumpkin Butt.... ok, ok, I know I'm making you sick.  Recently though, there have been a lot of Chuck's and Willis' thrown around the house and truck.  

Why you might be wondering?  

Well, Franco was addicted to a YouTube video about a taxidermist named Chuck Testa which you can see here.  And after every negative response to a question, Franco felt is was necessary to say "Chuck Testa."  

Confusing, I know....so for example, I would say :

"Would you like seconds?"  

To which Franco would respond:

 "Nope, ...........Chuck Testa."  

After getting extremely annoyed laughing right along with it, I started saying it which then led to me calling him Chuck.  

Now onto the Willis part... 

I wish there was a super cool "Chuck Testa" story that goes along with it, but it came from Different Strokes and the famous saying, "Watcha talkin bout, Willis."  

Often times Sometimes I ramble, and that's the phrase that he would use with me.  

So there you have it.  We've graduated from the cute, cuddly, lovey-dovey names...to Chuck and Willis.  Now, if you seen an update titled "The Adventures of Chuck and Willis" you'll know that we've gone somewhere or did something fun and I'm going to blog about it.  

Even though it's not part of the Texas Time Travelin' Machine WORK travels, they're still travels and will be documented!  

Stay tuned for next weeks episode....

I Realize I'm Distracted

I am distracted.

I realize, as I type this, that I'm sitting in a pair of pajama shorts and a sports bra that is on inside out.

Distracted.

I realize that I was in the process of cooking bacon in the oven, and the oven has been in "pre-heat" mode for the last hour as the bacon sits on top of the stove.

Distracted.

I realize that I should have put coffee grounds in the coffee pot in order to have more than just hot water this morning.

Distracted.

 I realize that my goodies for 4th of July party I'm supposed to go to aren't being made because I'm typing this.

Distracted.

I realize that even though I'd LOVE to think about something other than my family, our problems, and how I wish I had a simple fix for things that I cannot.

Distracted.

You see, they are the reason that I am...

DISTRACTED.

All I can do is pray!

Amen.

Honoring Daddy on Father's Day

I am fully aware that Father's Day was 3 days ago.  But I'm blogging about it today because we were in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico on Father's Day, fishing, bonding, celebrating the man that is my Daddy.  

  

"You fathers will understand.  

You have a little girl.  

She looks up to you.  

You're her oracle.  

You're her hero."

-Stanley T. Banks,

Father of the Bride

Wait a minute....Surely, you don't think he's the only one that caught fish??  

He had us girls there helping him celebrate his day AND catching fish right alongside him!

Fresh from the garden!

I love living in a farming community!

Everyone shares in the disappointment of a harvest that yields no crop in years of drought, 

but recently we’ve had ground quenching rain that allows us to celebrate the victory of bountiful harvests!

These are all fresh from the garden, and from a girl who LOVES her veggies, I could not be more excited!  I’m off to make zucchini bread!

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Email sent to Carla, our church secretary, on May 15, 2012

Hi Carla!

I hope this email finds you doing well.  I'm coming to you for some direction on an idea that I have regarding fundraising for my next trip to Africa. 

I already have people wanting to make monetary contributions towards my next trip to Kenya at the end of this year.  The idea that I have is, if these people make the checks payable to me, they don't get an tax advantages because I am not a non-profit organization.  Could and would First Lutheran Church be able to or interested in accepting these donations on my behalf?  A couple of reasons for this question...first, any people that contribute would have a taxable deduction at tax time.  Secondly, the company I work for will match any associate donations 2:1.  For example, if I contribute $1 to a non-profit organization, they will send an additional $2. 

Do you know the answers to these questions or is there someone that I can ask/meet with?  Any help you can provide would be beneficial!

Thank you,

Jordan Bremerman


Response from Mrs. Moczygemba, Treasurer of the Church Council

Jordan,
  Please let me know if you get this e-mail.  I sent you an e-mail last week, but may not have sent it to the right address.
The Council of FLC would be glad to help you with your next trip to Keyna.  We have a fund set up for anyone who
would like to make donations.  Anyone can send a check to the Church and just put a designation on the check that
it is for your trip to Africa. We would cut you a check shortly before you leave on your trip.  We are all extremely proud
of you and your willingness to spread God's word to the far corners of the earth!! In fact, I am somewhat jealous that you
have caught the meaning of discipleship at such a young age.  It has taken me a life time to learn what your already know!!
Keep in touch and all the best.  Patty Moczygemba