mashed potato feelings

Scarves and sweaters are packed, I've moved my belongings to the new apartment, the hours of work are finally winding down...

And I'm Boston-bound!

Halllujah, praise the Thanksgiving gods that I made it through this two-day work week!

I know, it wasn't that bad. But things have been crazy here in Jenny town! Isn't it special that right when your glimmering vacation is in sight... life decides to put everything on your plate? I mean, I love everything-- especially because it makes that sparkly vacation even sweeter-- but really, I can't wait to escape Los Angeles.

I've never been to Boston before and I have no idea what to expect (besides being freezing and eating clam chowder and wearing my American flag scarf while walking the Freedom Trail). My sister moved to Boston a couple of months ago with her bearded beau, Paul, and they have been happily biking and eating vegetables ever since. I called Jamie on the way to work this morning and they were knee-deep in their third Trader Joe's grocery purchase, getting a little heated about organic versus regular, etc.

What? No... I don't think so. No! (mumble mumble mumble) Hold on Jen, Paul has a really important question to ask you. 

Uh... okay. Hi Bikey.

Hi Jenny. Okay, I was discussing with your sister about possible mixins for potatoes. She explained to me how important mashed potatoes are to you, so I just want to know what our options are. Cream cheese, sour cream, goat cheese?

First of all, I'm slightly embarrassed that someone was concerned about hurting my mashed potato feelings. Secondly, goat cheese in mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving is blasphemous.

Food! Sister love! I can't wait!

My flight leaves at midnight. I'm currently pounding some coffee to keep me up so I'll crash just in time on one of those icky fabric airplane pillows. Perfection.

............................................

The last couple of mornings before work have been spent packing my car full of my belongings and dragging it to my new apartment. With the help of Starbucks and my mother, my room is officially relocated minus furniture. Ashley is working Black Friday so her family of six is traveling out from Las Vegas and having Thanksgiving in our little kitchen. Her dad is also bringing his truck so they're kindly moving all of our furniture while I'm gone. My. I feel equal parts guilty and relieved! By the time I get back we just need to move our kitchen and living room accessories and our apartment will be in business. It's super cute... pictures soon!

............................................

I had a lovely weekend, as promised.

Breakfast with Sarah for her birthday...

I crafted a homemade wedding gift for my friend Stephanie's wedding! I've been on a 'meaningful, personal' present kick recently and didn't want to get a generic gift from a wedding registry (...I'm a rebel... on a budget). I made this fancy little bulletin board to keep their to do lists happy and colorful!  Just a little washi tape, fancy push pins, and yes, glitter-- and voila! Personalized message board. Certainly beats an ironing board, if you ask me.

Then I put on Ashley's cutest dress and hit the road for Apple Valley!

Packing progress/me trying to look cute. Killing two blog birds with one stone.

The wedding was adorable and absolutely freezing--- brr! The high desert ain't kidding about that dry cold! Stephanie was an absolutely gorgeous bride. It was an honor to be a part of her special day.

After the ceremony we were encouraged to eat italian ice... which was the opposite of refreshing but it certainly was delicious!

Me, freezing in a cardigan in 50 degree weather eating an icy dessert.
I should also point out that I've had pneumonia three times.

I've worked with Stephanie for about five years now at Camp Bravo. David and Artur, the camp directors, were also there with their cold children.

Nina. This picture perfectly describes how freezing it was. Yes those are cheesy nacho bowls.  Steph marches to the beat of her own wedding drum.

Adorable.

We had such a great time. We laughed, blew bubbles, watched the various sweet dances and clinked our glasses before calling it a night.

Lovely.

Sunday I worked all day moving things to the new apartment. Ashley and I are so excited to settle in!

Hanging up our new shower curtain, which we got on Groupon, thank you very much.  

That night we headed over to our adorable friend Robyn's house for a Going away/ Christmas party for my friend Marc Anthony!

He's the best. Anthony is about to leave for bootcamp and then... the Air Force! We're incredibly excited for him and at the same time selfishly going to miss him. Robyn planned a whole evening full of fun... including fondue, skyping Bravo friends across the country, and silly Christmas traditions!

I'm so lucky to have such great friends. Sigh.

........................................................

Eek! It's almost time! I'm almost free and headed to Boston!

I am sorry to say that the likelihood of me writing over the next couple of days is slim. Very slim. I on the other hand, will not be, after a week in Boston with the events my sister has planned for us. Can't wait to report back to all of you.

I hope that you all have a generously grateful Thanksgiving. Football must be involved. As well as cuddling with someone on the couch (or just pretending in your mind that you are. I'm good at that). 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Love,

Turkey Jenny

fickle friend friday : cat birthday

Today is a very special day.

First of all, it's my half birthday (I'll take any excuse to feel fancy and eat yummy things).

Secondly it's Frasier's 4th birthday! Yes, he's only four. Yes, siamese cats live until their twenties. Cat-lord give me strength. (I kid-- he's literally the coolest cat I know. I'm lucky he's my buddy).

Wake up mom, I caught a mouse for you.

And finally-- it's Friday! This ridiculous four day week is finally coming to an end-- which is good news for me-- I have a pretty awesome weekend ahead of me.

But first... Time for my fickle friends!

...............................................................

Let's start things off with my favorite happy song of the week, "Now is the Start" by one of my favorite singers ever, A Fine Frenzy. This just makes me want to run around and smile at people.

Mmm... now that the happy Friday mood is set...

Hey Santa, I'm totally obsessed with Kate Spade bow rings.

I loudly gasped at work yesterday when I got my latest LUSH newsletter... new LUSH products?! GAH. These are the moments I so dearly miss my discount. I'm especially excited to try their new conditioner...

Any shampoo that's named after Ren & Stimpy is a winner in my book. 

(I owe about 40% of my humor to Ren & Stimpy and the rest to a variety of Jim Carrey characters). 

Genius. No one likes a floppy boot, am I right? And this gives me an excuse to drink more wine.

Favorite ridiculous movie of the week that I secretly/very publicly love. So good. So laughable... especially the... CGI BABY?! What. So weird. So good and I don't care who knows it.

These words have been on my mind a lot recently. Too often we stunt our dreams and goals for an easy way out or to appease others. Let's choose the courageous route, shall we?

I really do.

Here's one of my new favorite internet things: Dogshaming. Here are three good ones...

You can see more Dogshaming here.

Here are two videos that make me very happy. The first is a clip from Sesame Street encouraging young girls to have career ambitions beyond being a princess or a fairy. You go, Sesame Street.

This next video promotes a new building block set for girls called GoldieBlox. The lady behind it all is truly amazing and offers a very interesting perspective on marketing towards young girls. The world is going to be a bright shiny place thanks to women like her. This kind of stuff makes me antsy to become a part of shaping kid's entertainment and development.

Wasn't that uplifting?

To wrap things up today, I would like to announce to the Universe that Johnny has officially got his own car thanks to his winnings on Oh Sit! Isn't that great?! Congrats Papa Johnny!

Long gone are the days of me picking his Johnny-butt up from everything and dropping him off at the subway. Get ready, road trip. Here are some gifs I found to honor this momentous day.

Now Johnny and I talk about car insurance and real adult stuff instead of creative ways to sneak into the U of A tunnels and the effects of putting sweet tarts in vodka. 

.........................................................

Remember that time I was in the office all by myself? Yeah... me too. Everyone is moving to our new offices for SAG Awards and I'm sitting here motivating myself to do projects. Bleh. The good news is I can blast my Oscar Peterson pandora station as loud as I want and no one can judge my tootsie roll wrapper collection. Seems like a fair trade.

I've got an insanely busy/fun weekend ahead of me. I hope you do! Thinking of all of you... especially the really nice, fun people.

Kisses,

Jenny

check-up

Time for a Thursday Jenny check-up:

Age: almost 23 1/2 years

Money: Poor Really, really rich

Health: Lazy yet vom free

Eating: Cappuccino and a tootsie roll

Career: Professional boxer(?)

Accomplished today: Signed new lease, only ate half of a Chipotle burrito, made 1/2 birthday plans, started crafting my wedding present for Steph

Feeling: Tedious yet introspective

..................................................................

Thank goodness there is an ebb and flow to life. If every week was as busy as last week, I would be curled under my desk right now rocking back and forth. Luckily post-production life is pretty easy for me--- double-checking credit lists, setting up meetings and drop-offs and maintaining general office sanity. I'm good with that. Jenny the Organizer at your service.

Work has certainly been giving me a break, so that's good. Unfortunately the combination of my Tucson trip and paying for two apartments this month has been killer on my bank account. Never fear though--- I am putting happy monetary thoughts into the Universe! "I have so much money I can do whatever I want! My financial situation is idyllic! Money money money tra la la!"

I've also unfortunately been under the weather since yesterday afternoon. Last night I was really looking forward to meeting Kathleen and catching an improv show at Room 101 in Hollywood. After an hour drive from work, I felt like I was going to vom-- and that is not a feeling I would lie about. Don't worry, my vom count is still at zero (I'm such a revolutionary LA girl). I reluctantly re-scheduled our fun evening, headed home to lay on the couch, watched Rocky II and made macaroni and cheese. In my personal experience comfort food and Sylvester Stallone trump medicine any day.

I've only seen the first Rocky and was ironically just talking with friends this weekend about seeing the rest. Luckily CMT came to the rescue and had Rocky II and III back to back for me to DVR. The chicken scenes in Rocky II were so consuming that I had to put my cheesy dinner down to give it my full attention. Mickey explains that he used to speed train in the 'old days' by trying to catch chickens. He then lets one loose and tells Rocky to catch it! I was watching Rocky chase around this poor chicken and just kept thinking to myself, "Slow down, you're freaking it out! Keep your hands wide, don't shuffle your feet... go towards a corner... slow down... oh my gosh just let me do it!"

Let's just say I've caught a chicken or two in my time growing up in rural Tucson. Heck, last time I caught chickens was only a couple of months ago-- and exaggerations aside-- I caught three at once. What I'm trying to say is... I should be a boxer. According to Rocky I'm probably very skilled and fast. In reality, I'm just lucky I turned out relatively normal. 

Tomorrow is... get this... my half-birthday! This was a semi-huge deal for me growing up (see what I did there?). My mom used to make my sister and I chocolate pies on our half-birthday and put food coloring in our milk jug. Yes, she's the best mom ever. Tonight I'm celebrating by going to see Breaking Dawn: Part II. I've unashamedly seen every film of the Twilight series at midnight, except the last one when I was in San Francisco. Hmph. Come to think of it, I never even saw the last one... Some fan, am I!

It all started out as a joke... I didn't even know what Twilight was when I saw the first movie with my Darwin friends. Then I read all four of the books in five days and was consumed by vampire/werewolf love and unassuming tan shirtless men. Everybody wins on my half-birthday. Pie and popcorn and handsome men for everyone!

There. I'm calling it a day. I'm exhausted from yesterday's 4-day weekend summary. Baby Jenny needs a break. 

Have a lovely Thursday evening.

Kisses,

Me

dirty little city

Coming back from a 4-day-Arizona-leisure trip is a challenge.

Who knew that the little city I grew up in would be such a perfect vacation spot?

Vacation spot, you say? Tucson... Arizona? You heard me right. Turns out my little hometown is my new favorite weekend getaway-- what with the cheap drinks, easy driving, ample parking, school spirit, and fantastic company, I was in heaven.

Friday morning I picked Johnny and Jimmy up from Silver Lake and we hit the road!

Jimmy is pumping gas. Johnny is on the phone with a lady who was helping him with payment options for a fake gun he just bought. This is what happens when guys win game show money.

Johnny was also a very sleepy baby.  He worked until 7am that day and slept almost the whole way to Tucson. Jimmy and Johnny switched on the way back to keep me entertained during the drive.

We stopped just once because Johnny "needed to get Vermont mac n'cheese from Wendy's" (which, I might add, doesn't exist) and charge his dead cellphone. Just 7 1/2 fun-filled hours later and we were in Tucson! Glorious Tucson!

As soon as we pulled into town we grabbed my dearest best friend Bryan for pizza and beer at 1702, one of my favorite Tucson eateries. It was so fun feeling like a local again in our old Tucson haunts. 

Lovable scamps.

After carbo-prepping ourselves for the evening, we tried to casually ask about prices and designs in a snooty tattoo parlor, dropped our bags off at Johnny's friend Tot's house, played with his dog Coco, and then Bryan and I headed over to our first little Darwin reunion/get-together.

It's funny how the older I get... the older I feel. All the new Darwins are such sweet little babies and have no idea who I am. I kept talking in my old lady Darwin-voice (which is pretty impressive, I might add) about the good ol' days in the Cellar in the Student Union and about not having microphones for a 400 person audience. Just like an old lady, I also made sure to announce each time I made a joke, just in case it wasn't obvious or they weren't laughing. Kids. No sense of humor these days. (ahem, this is also mostly a joke). 

Then the bar-hopping and friend-sightings began!

My favorites-- Brett and Bryan. 

Oliver Scarf Twist.

We stopped at several Tucson bar favorites that night, including Auld Dubliner, the Wreck, and finally Trident. I cannot tell you how refreshing it was to pay $3.50 for a Blue Moon and pay $6 for a cab ride. Tucson is a beautiful thing.

Johnny, Jimfi, and I also reunited with Spencer for the first time since meeting last summer at Bang Comedy Theatre. It was interesting being in Tucson with Spencer as we never knew each other during college but both share a love and appreciation for this dirty little city. Even Jimmy and Johnny and I weren't real life U of A friends. Just acquaintances in class. Strange... Los Angeles has the power to bring like-minded Cats together, I guess.

Officially the worst picture ever with my favorite guys ever.

A couple hours later and we were headed back to Tot's to crash on blow-up mattresses in 30 degree -living-room-weather. Brr!

Spencer using his SF skills to... hitchhike? a cab.

We woke up the next morning bright and early to head back out for the U of A game. 

Jimfi and Coco cuddling. Always the ladies man.

Whoever scheduled a homecoming football game for 11:30 in the morning must have a real sense of humor. HILARIOUS. Us twenty-somethings need our sleep and some proper tailgating action before a game! We headed over to No Anchovies on University for some breakfast pizza and beer before the game started. Me and the boys... meeting up with all of their fraternity brothers, etc...

And that's when I realized.

The number of friends I have from college with true Arizona spirit? Enough to purposely come back for Homecoming? I can probably count them on two hands.

I have a collection of the coolest friends thanks to the many opportunities I had in my four years at the University of Arizona. I worked at the Rec Center, lived in La Paz dorms, was a proud member of the Charles Darwin Experience, worked backstage in costumes and stagecraft, was active in clubs like Students on Stage and wrote my own play and solo performance. I went to Ice Cats games and booed the goalies, volunteered at Juvenile Diabetes walks, went to talk-back screenings in the Gallagher theater, slept on the mall, attended women's lib talks and went to every group study session my classes had to offer. I studied abroad in England, watched intramural basketball games twice a week, volunteered at concerts and did charity improv shows at 1am on cold Tucson nights. I went to parties. Yes, most of the time they were theatre costume parties. I went to bars and did karaoke. I never missed a football game but I also never showed up falling-down-drunk (though I did have numerous intoxicated people fall on me and I have the scars to prove it). My college experience was hardly conventional-- and I absolutely loved every minute.

Unfortunately, Homecoming does not necessarily beckon my college friends home for the weekend. For one, most of my friends (a) now live in NYC or Hollywood (b) are completely unaware that it's Homecoming and (c) have no idea why that might be fun. I had at least three of my friends ask me this weekend if I was in town for any special reason. 

I remember several times trying to organize mass groups to go to basketball games or other sporting events to only be met with confused stares. Eh... what are you going to do? I love the University of Arizona more than most places, so Homecoming is an absolute no-brainer for me. Without getting too mushy-- I don't know where I'd be without the strength I found there. But you bet I wish more of my lazy-butt friends would come out for Homecoming already!

Luckily I had some of the best Cats I know in town-- one being Bryan.

Bry, me, and his former roommate Jenny at Frog & Firkin having "Girl Scouts", which tasted just like a thin mint. Don't worry, I absolutely recited the Girl Scout pledge out loud before downing it.

After watching the first half of the game with Jimmy and Bryan at Frog & Firkin, we headed to Bry's old business fraternity to meet with friends. I then wandered around University, met with the beautiful Danielle for a celebratory lunch at Wilco, spontaneously bought a new Homecoming/party dress at Urban Outfitters and changed in my car, met up again with the crazy boys at Dub, and then had dinner with Spencer at his favorite mexican restaurant-- Rosa's.

Look at that face. Too bad we are terrible at eating.

The rest of the night was spent doing the same old stuff-- bar hopping down 4th Avenue, hitting a house party or two and then calling it a night, heading back to Tot's house, and climbing under a questionable sleeping bag on a freezing cold air mattress. Ahhh... I love college.

..................................................

Sunday was Alison day!

Spencer and I met with Alison at Blue Willow-- Al Pal's and my favorite place to get breakfast. Spencer pointed out that the only time he has ever gone out for breakfast was with girls... which makes total sense and makes me laugh. Ladies love their breakfast. We ate eggs benedict and chorizo scrambles, chatted, and then I dropped Mr. S off on University so he could catch the basketball game. Then Alison Sunday Funday commenced!

We spent several hours shopping around the city, catching up on all of the ups and downs of life, laughing and daydreaming. Then of course, no Alison/Jenny Funday would be complete without a movie and an extra huge bucket of popcorn.

Alison and I don't kid around with our popcorn experience. We always get a large, bring an extra bag with us, dump it out, and hop right back in line for our refill. It's sick and genius all at once. Then we each have a large popcorn that we can hardly even eat half of (though lord knows it's been done before). Unfortunately Al Pal spilled her popcorn right in the middle of the movie... which was very dramatic. Don't worry, we shared.

I am obsessed with this little girl. One arm around a bucket of popcorn, strutting along with her sparkly red shoes and sassy outfit with a big smile on her face. I wanted to take her home with me.

Sunday night Alison's brother Brad, sister Diana, and Diana's wife Nicole came over for dinner! We drank wine, made caesar salad, chicken parmesan and chocolate pie for dessert. We couldn't decide between macaroni and cheese or shells & white cheddar for a side dish... so we had both. Birds of a feather, man. I love this family.

Action shot! Brad, my niece-dog Mia, Al, Diana, Nicole, and my nephew-dog, Witten. 

Sunday was incredibly busy before heading back to Los Angeles:

Aaron and I met up for lattes and hugs at Cartel...

I had lunch with my family, shopped around with Alison and Connie and bought some new boots...

Met up with Calvin for an Eegee...

And after a full tank of gas we were on our way!

Johnny hasn't pumped gas in a long time. This lady had to come out and help him... twice. 

Johnny and Jimmy and I discussed varying degrees of (in)appropriate life things, listened to mix cd's made by my 8th grade boyfriend, and enjoyed the end of a wonderfully effortless trip.

Johnny losing his sanity, post twenty chicken nuggets, on the 8-hour drive home.

We decided this song was the perfect end to the trip-- Green Eyes-- my favorite Coldplay song of all. It makes my heart hurt. If I could trade this song for Brown Eyed Girl, I would. 

......................................................................

All in all it was a picturesque weekend.

And I'm happy and exhausted just thinking about it.

Hope yours was also spirited and carefree.



Kisses,

Jenny