beatrix potter

Bonjours, dear readers! It is an uncharacteristically misty afternoon here in the city of angels. A girl can dream in weather like this. What with the chilly English rain and the comforting San Francisco-esque fog... 

... and alas, I'm at work. Luckily I'm very cozy at my desk, admiring my awkward view out the window: 

...thanks Bijon for obstructing my cityscape view. Well, now I know where to go if the IRS is giving me heck!

I love my new job. Great hours, solid pay, lovely people, a little free time to get some writing done, and my own comfy office where I can enjoy my Corinne Bailey Rae Pandora station all day. Hour long drive aside, it's a fantastic job. I'm looking into moving towards Santa Monica in August-- hooray! It'll cut down on commute time and... well... I'll be by the beach. I don't need more reasons than that. I don't know what it is, but I just love moving around. Ever since I moved out of my family's house when I graduated high school I've been in a different place every year. I suppose I'm not much of a settler. Ants in the pants.

...and that beach will be coming in handy... it's almost summer time! Ahh... summer in southern California is a beautiful thing. And speaking of that-- my birthday is next month! I've got that familiar feeling that I need to just move on to the next year already. It's getting weird saying I'm twenty-two. I feel like such a baby. Not that twenty-three makes me feel all that more old, but, ya know. I was planning on a big shindig at Medieval Times but alas, far too expensive. The plan is now to attend the original Renaissance Festival in its' hometown! Huzzah! What better way to spend the day than with a turkey leg in one hand, beer in the other, and happy friends around me while we all watch some good ol' LARPers do some jousting? I can't wait.

Yes, I am a happy girl. Things are starting to feel very adult-like. I remember reading magazines growing up directed towards the 'working woman'. Fifteen Tips to Tighten Your Tush While Sitting at Your Desk. Healthy Lunches to Make Your Work Week Delicious! How to Be the Boss at Work (while not losing your job!) 

You know, stuff like that. I remember thinking... "One day I will have my own desk and window. I'll eat homemade chopped salads and exercise on my way to the office! How exhilarating!"

And it is. I have to tell you I am absolutely thrilled each day. For a girl who hates a humdrum life, I just thrive in a fresh routine. I go to cycling and kickboxing classes in the morning, go home and shower, get to work early enough to eat some blueberries and oatmeal... and of course, a nice clean salad for lunch. It's pathetic... I know. But yes, very exciting for me. Turns out a full-time job forces you to work at your optimum performance. No time for pooping around and being dumb-- not when you're a working woman!

Speaking of pooping around and being dumb... I made it onto that musical chairs game show. I KNOW. I KNOW. WHAT. HOW. ME?!

I don't know how I feel about it. I'm not sure if they're scheduling some sort of special "awkward rejects" episode or what, but I made it on. I didn't even send in the follow-up video they requested, and then all of a sudden, I had a congratulatory email in my inbox. I emailed back and said that I wasn't exactly interested in being on the show, only to be called immediately after sending it. I was at work at the time but I received three phone messages and pleas to change my mind. (...I must've been incredibly entertaining). I haven't yet changed my mind. They say that it's just like Wipeout... which of course makes me wanna vom. Hilarious, yes. But only because it's not you being beat up by huge impossibly bouncy balls, right? Though it is rather comforting... my first LA audition ever and I GOT THE PART. Oh yeah. Too bad it was for an adult musical chairs game show. Start small, Jenny, start small. 

I had a lovely, lovely time in Arizona and Las Vegas. Dear LORD it's hot in Arizona. I've spent all of my life in Arizona, minus a year or so... every summer in Tucson... with cars that never had air-conditioning and college houses that only had swamp coolers... I know hot. But my goodness it is bloody hot there. My body completely forgot how to operate. Luckily there was plenty of Dairy Queen to keep me cool...

Alison and I enjoying our too mini blizzards. Way too mini.

...I only went there twice while I was there, which was quite the accomplishment. I magically fit in everyone and everything I wanted to see/do that weekend--- family, friends, Darwin, movies. Everything. It was perfect. Here's a little bit of the weekend in pictures:

Using my phone while driving. JUST BECAUSE I CAN.

Dan and Hillary and I before my first alumni DARWIN show!  

Helping Harald catch his chicks and relocate them to their 'big chicken' coop... I sometimes forget how much of a redneck I was growing up. I'm the ultimate chicken catcher--- three at once. It's okay to be impressed.

I finally got to eat at the famous PIZZERIA BIANCO in Phoenix! Quite delicious.

And then Las Vegas happened. Turns out being in Las Vegas was... just as awkward as I thought it was going to be. Luckily I have two great friends that actually live in the city, so that helped. They were excellent at letting me be a tourist while showing me some Las Vegas treasures off the beaten path. Only problem was between the hours of 2:30 pm and 9:30 pm I was completely alone. I've never been to Las Vegas and I am relatively uninterested in gambling or day-drinking by myself so my options were limited. I ended up wandering around the various hotels and casinos, shopping areas, coffee shops and driving by all the little white chapels. I could see the potential for fun and worthwhile-bad-decisions all around me. Drats. Don't worry, I'll be back. And next time with a full posse of semi-irresponsible twenty-somethings in-tow. 

This was as wild as I got... drinking water and betting $20 with my friend Katie after a hysterical hypnotism show. Don't worry. We made $30.30. And split it, change and all.

Speaking of semi-irresponsible... I bought an iPad. Don't forget I'm still a twenty-two-year-old, so I'm allowed to make reckless financial decisions (but only for another month, I slipped this in under the wire). This was purchased in celebration of my new job... before the first check even rolled in. ...I'm learning. Silly decision aside, I'm in love with it. I use it for everything--- watching shows, emails, reading, writing, etc. ...Is that all I had to say about it? ....apparently, yes. I love it. Moving on. 

What else have I been doing with my time? Last weekend my dear mother and I took my sister-in-law and niece out to a special birthday tea party!

Adorable and delicious. I have also been spending a lot of time with friends and frequenting my favorite neighborhood bar and performing terribly at pub trivia. 

...I'm kind of on an "Answer-Probation" right now with my team. About two weeks ago, during a round with mega points, I blew it. This was a special round that just focused on one answer: the sooner you answer it with the clues, the more points you get. What ensued was that all too-familiar situation where you're POSITIVE you know something when you absolutely do not. 

For twelve points... this English author was born in the late 1800's. She had various imaginary friends that she would write stories about...

Enter me in a hurried whisper... 

I know it! I know it! You guys!! It's Beatrix Potter!! I'm 110% sure it's Beatrix Potter! Oh my gosh IT'S BEATRIX POTTER!!

We quickly wrote down the answer and gave it to the judge. My friends were proud. I was elated. Look at me, knowing British literature from the 1900s. What a lady! The next two minutes held various high fives and bustling rounds of "For she's a jolly good fellow". We settled in with our beers to watch those poor other teams try and catch up with our magical twelve points that I had so honorably won. ...Only to hear this follow up clue:

...She then began writing scripts, namely her famous play, The Unexpected Guest...

My smile quickly faded. The lights grew dim. The faces turned. I was no longer a jolly good fellow. 

Agatha Christie. Damn, Agatha Christie!! (shaking fist)

...And now I'm scarred for life and must face the ridicule week after week. I mean, it wasn't like it cost us the game. We were lightyears behind our rival team, Lawrence O'Trivi-ay. But still. Lesson learned. 

Alright. A quick update but an update nonetheless. I'm going to see Hunger Games tonight to see what all the hubbub is about. Oh, and to eat popcorn. 

Kisses!