Not really anywhere...

...Just surrounded by dead chickens.

Yes, you read that right. I am (metaphorically) sitting in a room with dead fowl at my feet. Chickens that I, in only an attempt to love them, killed by strangulation. Any of you who have read "Of Mice and Men" will know the story which I am referring to. You just start off by touching the chicken. Oh, look! It didn't bite. Now, you move on to stroking said chicken, and finding that it is still relatively unskittish, you continue in this motion until you realize your hands are around its neck, and you have choked the life out of this fragile creature.

Creepiness aside, I have performed this dastardly act too many times in the last year. No, I am not a Satanist, or even someone who enjoys touching chickens. They are actually pretty disgusting. But, I have found myself approaching a situation, or a person with the goal of only being friendly, and ended up strangling them with enthusiasm and/or craziness. Let's examine the most current scenario, shall we? (*Warning: the following story will not shed a favorable light on the author, but y'all knew I was crazy already. So there. Judge away.) The scenario: Me, at the dance on Friday, confused by overtures of friendship from earlier in the day, going against all good sense/kicking the dead horse/losing my head/falling back into old patterns...you get my drift. The result: Becoming absolutely invisible on Sunday morning, not even worthy of a hello, and a drive home in a rage that goes against the lesson I learned from both my mother and Phil Connors: "Don't drive angry!" Although I didn't hit into a pole/drive off a cliff/cause any accidents, I was not a very safe driver. Also, I was mad at myself for not knowing when to quit.

If any of you out there who are reading this have any idea of how to help me, please let me know. Please save me from myself. I apparently can not be in charge of my own life, as I am making an absolute dog's dinner out of every situation I encounter/create.

Also, if you know of any good jobs out there for me...

"Come over to my house, I'll tend to you solo"

Everyone is a better blogger than me.

People are writing right and left, whilst I sit in my living room and merely stare at the computer from across the room, willing the words to transmit directly from my head to my blog site. O.k., actually, I have not written for the following reasons.

1. I am lazy. It is true. I plan on writing, I think of topics and funny stories, I even occasionally venture further than the Facebook while on the internet. But, still I don't write.

2. I was on holiday for 4 days. Yes, there was a computer where I was staying, but I was busy entertaining young boys (wait...), going to recitals, talking myself out of buying purses, sampling fine chocolate, and maintaining my 50% win ratio at Spit-in-the-Ditch (Seriously...Angels invented this game!!) If you have not already deduced the location, or if you do not already live there, I was on vacation in Edmonton. I went up for Adam's Grad recital (which was so wonderful!!!) and stayed for the Kerstin's chocolate, the Plaid Giraffe, card games and 4 of the coolest guys in the world.

3. Nothing overly exciting has been going on. I am still waiting to hear back from U of S, Work is pretty much the same, and I have forgotten how to socialize.

4. I have been consumed by the show "Bones" which I have been watching on DVD. O.k., I mostly watch this show for one angelic David Boreanaz, but I really like the minor characters, the chemistry between the leads, the sass from every character which prompts me to say "s-n-a-p-p-e-r-s" at least 5 times per episode, and really, Agent Seely Booth (the divine D.B.) is just too ridiculously good-looking.

5. I have been doing quite a bit of reading lately, and it has been wonderful. It reminds me of when I was in university, and reading everything I could get my hands on...well, everything but my text-books.

I hope you all have been having a great week. I am excited that it is Friday tomorrow, and I will even be attempting socialization again and attending a dance. Scary. I know. I can only pray they will play "Space Jam".

Or maybe "Cotton-Eye Joe".

Not really that exciting

Everyone at my work is dying.

No, this is not some sort of threat from a disgruntled employee (although...), but a statement of fact from this week at Chapters. Our General Manager is out for the week, on Monday our two main cashiers were both ill, I am still not 100% recovered from my plethora of diseases, and there are a host of others who are also still recovering or feeling symptoms coming on. Who knew that books could be so diseased/hazardous? Needless to say, if you don't have to come in to Chapters...don't. Customers just annoy me anyway.

This is the second late working day of my week, which is kind of weird. I am covering a shift for our dear Travis, who seems to have taken the notion of being sick, and like some 12 year old boy, tried to see how much he could top it. ("Oh, you think you're sick? I am way sicker than you"!!) It was good to see him on his feet yesterday, and we all hope he will be back at work soon. I would be loath to admit it to his face, but cash is kind of falling apart without him. The upside of all this is that I get another sleep-in day, and another working evening with people I don't generally get to see at the store.

Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful day. Enjoy the sunshine!!

You may have forgotten me...

It has been so long since my last post, that I seem to have forgotten how to writes gud. Oh, man.

I am at my parents place for Easter, and I am seriously contemplating moving home just for the king size bed in the land of Spare Oom. I had the first uninterrupted sleep since I have been sick, and it was absolute heaven. HEAVEN. I am still planning my week where I stay in that bed the entire 7 days. Let's look at the logistics. There is a fridge downstairs and a bathroom. There is also a t.v., and I would bring a plethora of books in order to avoid boredom. Aah, it will be so wonderful, and all in preparation of my life as a hermit. any of you can come visit, there is room for all in the bed, and if you bring a blender, we can make some killer drinks at the bar in the main room downstairs.

Easter, despite my possible strep-throat (the doctor doesn't think I have it), has been an absolute blast. The boys have been so much fun, and I have never been so tempted to kiss children on the lips as I have since I was forbidden not to. (I did cough on one or two of them, but it really couldn't be helped) Mark is actually reading (aah! I remember when you were born!!), Steven has mellowed out considerably and loves to be hugged, and Ben is getting so big. Oh, now I just have to see Sam, and that is only a week away!!

For all of you (o.k., , for Jess and Adam, who I haven't talked to for awhile), here is an update about the last month. I will stick to the highlights, although, there have been the low moments as well. Ask me when you see me if you want to hear any tales of woe. I will spare the general public, and maybe even make it through one post with some dignity intact. Maybe.

1. I have gotten even more comfortable in my new ward. I received the calling of Relief Society music conductor, and i am really glad to stay in R.S. I got a chance to talk with my bishopric, and even though many people consider me the token single gal, they continue to be friendly and welcoming.

2. I got a car!!! Well, I am sharing it with my dad, but nonetheless, I am driving. I know that shocks a lot of people - most of my co-workers didn't know I had a license. So, if you need a ride somewhere within a reasonable distance, give me a call!!

3. I attended, with my dear friends, a Trews concert at the University. THEY WERE AMAZING. I screamed myself pretty hoarse singing along. They were so energetic, and sounded really tight. I had not been to a rock concert in awhile where there is alcohol present, and so forget about drunk people at concerts. Highlights included a crowd-surfer landing on Denise and me, my pants being soaked up to my ankles in beer, the guy who had to be carried off the dance floor by his friend, numerous gropings by guys "passing by" or "squeezing through", accidentally groping a few people myself, and Ashley's concert boyfriend. Oh, also the subsequent deafness lasting the next couple of days.

4. I have been on a reading kick, and have gone through quite a few books. On Jess's recommendation, I read, and loved, The Book of Lights by Chaim Potok. The story was characterized by an over-lying feeling of sadness, and so the moments of beauty and joy that were sprinkled throughout were ever-so-much-more meaningful and luminescent. I find the author's writing so captivating. If you have not read "The Chosen", do it immediately. It will change your life. Or, in the words of A.S., it will start your life.

I hope that all of you are having a magnificent Easter holiday, and I thank you for your patience with my long absence of writing. There were good reasons.

Stay healthy. Read a lot. Go to Church.

Yes, I am fully clothed right now.

I just realized that the name of my blog makes me sound kind of like a pervert. "Hey...you can take off your shirt here. Clothes are for fools!!" I must have picked this title
a. while under some kind of influence
b. while being shirtless, oops, I mean shoeless as well
c. before I started spreading (quite vehemently, I might add) my philosophy about justifiable shirtlessness.

For those of you who have not heard my treatise on the subject, I believe that people should only be shirtless if there is a credible reason to be. Let's try a little experiment, shall we? Yes? (This actually only applies to males...well, unless you are in Ontario)

Scenario #1: You are swimming. Justified.

Scenario #2: You are showering. Justified.

Scenario #3: You are posing for a calender. Unjustified.

Scenario #4: You are WALKING DOWN THE STREET: Absolutely unjustified. Come On!

Scenario #5: You are mowing the lawn. Uhh, the jury is still out on this one, but I'm leaning toward un.

Scenario #6: You are Gerard Butler. No. Unjustified. We are tired of seeing your nipples.

Scenario #7. Your shirt is on fire. Justified. Yes, that's you Peter Petrelli

Well, it has been a short, but a good one. I need to get ready because Mary and I are venturing out to the Opera at the movie theatre. I should probably at least run a brush through my hair.

Scenario #8. You are performing an Opera at the Met.

Only justified if your name is Pavarotti.

Remorse is a dish best served with a rose sauce.

I know, I know. It has been a ridiculous 18 days since last I put fingers to keys and tried my best to entertain you all. You are all wonderful, and I am incredibly self-absorbed to think that you are all waiting patiently by the computer for my update. So, with that prodigious commencement, I will...begin.

Since my last post I have done a few things of note, and even more of absolutely boring proportions. So, I will try to keep it interesting:

1. I wrote the LSAT for the 2nd time, and I am pretty sure I did better this time on it. I didn't feel so rushed, I did much better on the Logic Games , and there were only 4 people writing that day in Lethbridge, so the administrative stuff went a lot quicker. Well, except for the guy who flew in from Taiwan to take the test. Nay, he flew in especially to annoy me with the most asinine questions. "What if I need more paper? Can I have more paper?" What happens if I have to go to the bathroom? Can I leave?" Every time he asked a question, the proctors for the exam had to consult some LSAT manual, have a whispered conference, and then answer his question, with him clarifying every thing they said. Poke. my. eyes. out. Actually, my favorite part o the exam was when I had to write my essay in cursive. I found this extremely difficult, and my hand refused to write smoothly. Instead, I wrote (through no choice of my own) in short spastic bursts. The proctor said that we had to handwrite so "they" could analyze the handwriting. I can just imagine that they have flagged my Law School application with "Serial Killer"! "Do not admit, unless to Criminal Law." Anyway, since I finished writing it, I have been pretty lazy for the last couple of weeks, not having to study, or even feel guilty for not studying.

2. I had a (pretty boring) Valentine's Day party that was only mentionable because of the fondue we had. It was so delicious, that I ate my weight in chocolate. The result? I lapsed into a Sugar-induced coma around 10:00pm on the couch, only to awaken at about 1:30 am and stumble to bed in a haze of swedish berries and apple slices. I woke the next morning with a chocolate hang-over and feelings of remorse for Valentine's Day hi-jinks that gained me only pity, I am sure.

3. I took a walk down memory lane in the good old town of Pincher Creek on Saturday night. Travis and I headed to the windiest place on earth to spend some time with Barbara Coloroso. We were greeted by a blizzard, and got the chance to go to the classy restaurant of my youth, Luigis. The pasta? Not overly awesome.

All in all, not a very busy 2 weeks, but with my Itunes card, at least I have been listening to some great music, and downloading like a fiend.

Keep dreaming. Don't get stuck in the snow. Go to Church. (Don't be like Dirty Pants)

the little blog that could...keep me away from my studies

After reading other friends' posts, I have come to the conclusion that mine might never be more than the "little blog that could." Really, I take such pleasure in reading all of your finely crafted discourses, and I appreciate that you deign to sneak a peek at mine ever so often. Just wanted to put it out there that you guys are great writers. The most I can hope for with mine is that when I print it off, and hide it away for years only to be brought out when my kids are feeling like the world doesn't understand them, that they will be able to read it and realize that they will never be as crazy as their Mom.The comfort may be cold, but comfort (hopefully!) nonetheless..

Remember how I was doing so well with my limited readings of Harry Potter 7? Not. so. much. Today I came home from work early as I didn't really feel very well (Andrea alone knows the story and no other human being will ever get the details...well, maybe Jess and Adam), and I studied faithfully for about 3 hours. Then, wanting to take a break, and feeling my brain literally turn to mush, I picked up the HP sauce...and here I am...3 hours later with the book finished. Cut to me at 6:30pm crying all over again, nay, sobbing hysterically again as Harry makes his way through the forest to (Sorry, that was almost a spoiler alert for the people who apparently do not prioritize Harry above all else... Filthy mud-bloods) As soon as I finished the book, I immediately went back to studying...no, wait. How did I end up at the computer, writing this blog? Some dastardly bit of magic on someone's part. Oh, I'll find you, you unknown curser...and your little cloak too.

So, as soon as I finish here, I will go back to the studying. At this point, however, there is not a lot I can really improve on. I still feel that I will do better this time, even if only marginally. I was lucky to get a blessing from my Dad this afternoon, so I am confident that I will feel well and relatively peaceful tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. As Denise says, if it is meant to be, then it will work out. Right now it is the thought of homemade Spinach and Artichoke dip that is sailing me through. Brilliant! It's going to be legen...wait for it...dary!!!

Have fun this weekend. Stay warm. Say a prayer for me. Go to church.

cell-phones, fridges, and celebrity obsessioins

New Fridge ! New Fridge!

When I got home tonight at 8:30 pm, there was, standing proudly in our kitchen, a beautiful brand new fridge. I am already imagining the coldness of our food, and the chance to drink milk again. As Denise has already mentioned, you really do only want something when you can't have it. Yes...this does apply to many other aspects of our lives. Or maybe just me. I could just be a sick person who always wants what she can't have. Yeah, I'm talking about you Kitchenaid...

I spent the evening at the library, where I hate everyone there. EVERYONE THERE. Especially the guy who was talking about his divorce on his cell-phone at a volume so high, I am sure he was heard at the mall. I know that being quiet at libraries is probably an archaic idea, but really. Be a little considerate to people who are reading/studying. I really don't care how much of a cow your wife is. Anyway, Besides the guy screaming down his cell-phone, and the cold which forced me to wear my toque, scarf, and mittens while trying to study, I did get some pretty good reviewing in. If I can just stop listening to the voice in my head that tells me I am not good enough, I think I will get through the test o.k. Things are certainly coming clearer this time.

Anyway, I am heading to bed right away to spend at least an hour with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I should never have started "Harry Potter 7" again while I should be studying, but I have been really good at only reading it at night.

On another note...brought on by the only thing on t.v. right now, please let Heath Ledger rest in peace. Seriously. Why are we so obsessed with celebrities, and if something bad happens, the news is absolutely over-inundated with every single aspect of their lives. I don't care if he doubted himself as a father, I don't care if he had problems with drugs. Stop trying to analyze everything or anything that might have contributed to his death. Let it go.

I'll stop complaining. I really have had a wonderful couple of days. I have been really happy and enjoying life, so I will stop the ranting.

Stay warm. Make goals. Figure it out. Go to church.

I love you all.

...and there is no one in a suit to make the day better...

You may all think that you know what a bad Monday looks like, but I am going to tell you about a Monday that will make you re-think your first-of-the-week blues.

So, I was scheduled to work at 7:00 am yesterday morning, and yay!! I was going to get a ride with a co-worker. Unfortunately, I ended up taking the bus. This was fine until I got to 4th ave and started walking towards Chapters, where the wind hit me straight in the face, and by the time I had walked 1 block, I was ready to lay down under the nearest tree and go to sleep and /or die. It was really cold. When I got to work, I was the only one doing cycle counting. Yeah. ( for those of you who do not work at Chapters or are not Denise and know everything about it anyway, cycle counting is the inventory we do of a certain section. This was it gets done all year) So I counted all of the c.d.s, luckily I know that section pretty well. Stephen was in at 8, so he got to check all of my mistakes...of which there were a few...my brain had not thawed yet. Because the weather was so cold and yucky, we never had more than about 5 people in the store at once, so it was extra slow. Also, they canceled a few shifts due to the weather, and sent everyone there home early...except for me. They wanted someone "strong" on the floor, and I needed to go on cash when the only cashier needed a break. Yes it is nice to be reliable and multi-talented, but it would have been nice to go home early.

And... the best part of the day was that there was no water in our store, so no bathrooms. There is a leak on the main water line downtown, and they are still trying to find/fix it. Starbucks is unable to open at all. Now here is something about me that Ashley and Denise know pretty well. I have a bladder the size of a marble. So, I had to go over to the mall to go to the bathroom. This was 12 minutes I will never get back.

I truly believe that because Pres. Hinckley died, Satan saw he had about 2 days without a prophet, and so thought he would turn up the nonsense a few notches. See who he could round up, or at least drive to drink. I hear that the liquor really warms you up. Don't think I wasn't wishing there was a Scotch handy while I was contemplating my death under the trees at IGA.

Anyway, hope today goes better!! I am sending off my application to the University of Saskatchewan today. Wish me luck. Wish me faith - I really need some right now. Most of all, wish me warmth. Oh, and you know you are all jealous of my sock mittens.

Pop-up Choir and Clown shoes...

New Template! New Template!

I have not written for quite a while, and so in response to my fans who are desperate for more Jenny news (o.k., there have been about 2), I thought I better give an update.

Since I last wrote, I have...

1. ...seen some great and not so great movies. Firstly: Juno. This I would classify as one of the great ones. I loved this little movie. Now I do know it has sparked some controversy regarding teen pregnancy, and I even felt a little uncomfortable with how cavalier they were about this emotional subject, but I so enjoyed the characters, the humour, the soundtrack, and the performance by Ellen Page as the main character. My two viewings of this film made up for the unfortunate idea to watch"27 Dresses". I did not like this movie. It was just too contrived, too predictable, and the girl who played the part of the sister who is getting married was possibly the worst actress I have ever seen. There was just way too much hype for this movie, and I really did not enjoy it.

2....studied for the LSAT. I really have this time, and it actually feels like I am making some progress. Even the logic games are becoming more discernible and shall we even say more...logical?! I still have a week, and I am absolutely going to spend as much free time as possible going over those questions. If I do not get into Law School, I am not taking another LSAT for at least 3 months.

3. ...played some Boggle and won!! I know it was only by 5 points, but I will take what I can. Besides I am sure I will win by at least 10 points next time. I think the studying is making me smrter.

4....bought a pair of clown shoes. So, I was in Winners on Friday when I found (what I thought was) the cutest pair of shoes. Because it was me, I did not responsibly walk away or even grudgingly drag myself away. No, true to form and my addiction, I marched them straight up to the counter and promptly purchased them. The next morning, I woke up, took one look at the shoes and felt a strange sensation. What was this feeling creeping over me? Could it be buyer's remorse? What brought on this unfamiliar sensation was the distinct possibility that I had actually bought a pair of clown shoes. I jumped out of bed and perused the shoes. What had looked like an absolutely adorable pair of flirty red flats under the sickly fluorescent lights of the notoriously hideous Brand-name discount chain store suddenly looked like something that would only be acceptably worn accompanied by a fake red nose. I have never experienced such a feeling as buyer's remorse after buying shoes. You. can. never. have. enough. pairs. of. shoes. Luckily, I put on the shoes, and realized that they actually were fantastic. Moral of the story? When you are just waking up, your judgment is clouded...and you can never have enough shoes. Oh, yeah. Even if they had been clown shoes, you know that only yours truly could have pulled it off. You know y'all wish you were brave enough to wear clown shoes!

5....have attended my new ward for a month...and I am both embracing the new and missing the old. How? Well...

a. The people in my new ward are extremely friendly and welcoming.
b. I am forced to act like a grown-up at church. That is good. I am finally one of the reverent ones.

But

c. I miss the flirting and the fashion parade. I know that neither of these is a really good reason to go to church, but I love to flirt, and I can't do it with married men. (There is only room in my life for one questionable crush on a married man...can't wait for the ward conference!...)
d. I miss the awesome VP friends who indulged me in my irreverence and were always ready with a compliment and/or hug.

6. ...sang in a pop-up choir. Similar to Starbucks in name only, this was anyone who wanted to sing a hymn in the "ward choir" just got up and sang. So I did.

7.. ...wrote a blog and then deleted it. For anyone who read it...please don't judge me too harshly. For everyone else, it was a little too personal and I am not sure why I put it out there. I will have to save it for the secret blog...if that actually existed.

Have a great week everyone! You will probably not see me unless you come to my temporary second home, otherwise known as the Lethbridge Public Library. (Although I am not really in love with it as it doesn't have the hidden nooks, fabulous long couches, and amazing toilets that my sweet Rutherford North at the U of A had. Oh, long stretch-out couches hidden behind the Shakespeare section at Rutherford...I dream of you... and seriously- You could flush anything down those toilets with that water pressure. Jess.. you know what I'm talking about)

Stay out of the snow!! Go to church!! Remember I love you - even if no one else does!!

"Pulling your puzzles apart"

Questions: Why do I persist in banging my head against a brick wall? Do I like the pain? Am I doing it to "feel alive"? Do I really think that this time it will actually feel like someone is kissing me on the forehead, as opposed to what it actually would feel like- hitting me repeatedly with a whiffle bat?
The answers, my dear readers, are few, but poignant.

1. Fear. Yes, I am comfortable with situations as they are, even if I am making myself insane. It scares me to think about meeting new people, trying new experiences, and even...being alone.

2. Something is better than nothing...or is it? It didn't use to be. I used to be what I thought was a strong independent woman who didn't need a relationship to feel fulfilled. Suddenly, I am crazy - jealous, desperate (I'll admit it!!), and trying to push something that will never happen.

3. Newsflash: I am an attention-whore. 'Nuff said.

So its time to stop being afraid...and just be awesome!! (Thanks Barney) If burning things is the answer, then bring on the self-actualization exercises!! I am ready to be alone...I think.

O.k., enough emotional baggage for one post. Actually, there is probably enough in here for a week's worth. This week was a strange adjustment. It was weird to not go to FHE, and although I threw myself off the map quite willingly, it is going to be quite a transition from YSA world of socialization to current outer realms of...non-socialization.

On the plans for the future front, I am studying like a demon this week for the second writing of the LSAT, and I am sending off a Law School application this week. (The other one isn't due until March 1st, so I think I'll spread them out a bit to counteract the fee situation.)

I think its time to end this emo/dis-jointed post before anyone actually reads it and writes me of as completely nuts.

Probably too late.

"All my little plans and schemes..."

"...lost like some forgotten dreams"

So, I took one of my first steps of the new year...going to Second Ward for the inaugural visit. It was o.k. I will admit here that I did not sleep well last night anticipating going to a new ward by myself, but I made it through o.k. I sat with Sis. Salmon, who is our Stake RS President. I was only sorry to be alone in Sunday School, when, as per usual in Family Ward Sunday school classes, the teacher provided ample hi-jinks to warrant at least 3 elbows in (tear!) a non-existent rib cage. (Jess, if you felt a phantom elbow in your side sometime this morning, it was me!!) The teacher's enthusiasm/craziness was only "amplified" by the microphone he would make anyone who had a comment speak into. He would ask a general question, of which he required a specific answer, and then would put the microphone in someone's face, and then wait for them to answer at least 3 times before they discovered what his answer was. Oh, the times we will be having in Gospel Doctrine. Just remind me never to get too close to that mic...

Relief Society was, of course, absolutely wonderful, and I look forward to getting to know the ladies there. Having met up with Linda Davies, I am now going to be doing a musical number in Sacrament meeting next Sunday. Nothing like exhibiting myself ('cause we all know...) at the forefront. As Denise would say, might as well do it while "the fit is upon us".

This weekend, I had the most wonderful relaxing time, and when we went shopping, only spent about 3 dollars. Shocking!! Not even when we went to Reitmans, and Mary was pressuring me to buy a purse did I give in to temptation. Wow. I really feel like I have grown as a person.

Well, I hope you all had a fantastic weekend, and a truly "worship in style" Sunday. Here's hoping we run into each other soon!!

Hope for the Hopeless

Wow, the year in review. I am going to copy Denise a bit by going through some high and low points of 2007 here on the ole blog. And it has been quite a year for me.I am not putting these in any particular order, and I am writing them as they occur to me, so please indulge the scatter-brained list. Here it is:

The arrival of Sam, Ben, and Beckham. How many aunties get 3 nephews in one year? It has been quite a year for the Olsen family, and we loved having so many babies about the place whenever we got together. Yes, it did sound like absolute pandemonium when Dad called me the other day when everyone was down for the holidays, but there was nothing like Christmas morning with the boys. Even the 2007 ones got to help unwrap presents, and read the books I gave them.

Moving to a new house. I was so lucky to move in with two of the greatest girls in the world, and when one moved out (tear!) we were lucky again to bring Mary in!! Even with all of the craziness of the downstairs Lotharios, I still love this house, and have felt comfortable and warm here.

Living in Party Central. Some of the highlights have included many Week-day Eves, Apple taste-tests, After dance parties with slurpees and Cranium, Power-outages which were more harmful than fun, dinner with the missionaries, Keely parties, concerts with Ashley and me, dinner with the A and the J, parties in the tent, and the grand wrap-up, the c.d. exchange. I will admit that I love being a hostess, so it has been a lot of fun. And, Denise and I remarked the other day that we were always either cleaning up for or after a party. Thanks to all my roommates for indulging my love of the get-together.

Facebook. Finding people I haven't seen since High School, creeping on other people, finding out way more than you ever wanted to know about some friends, connecting with other YSA, and creating killer events and groups has made this fad a lot of fun for this Luddite.

General Conference. A truly great trip with wonderful ladies, spiritual uplifting, amazing shopping, fabulous music, a chance to perform for an entirely new audience, and a plethora of inside jokes. And, who knew I would get a date just by leaving the country? That is the ultimate hot and cold...

Boggle. From the awkward and sometimes infuriating large games with all the week-day eve people to the do-or-die, friendship-jeopardizing, "if you try to make up one more word I will lose it" games with Braden, it has been a good year for finding words. This has made me want to play again as soon as possible...

Being Relief Society President. Someone told me that if you are feeling like you are not doing enough, then you are probably doing the job right. I hope so, because I feel like I never did enough for the girls in our ward. As I leave them, I hope they know how much I loved them and only wanted the very best for all of them. Who could forget the amazing Retreat? which leads me to:

Make-out Challenge 2007. This year we expanded it to co-ed, but only the celebrity version. While it will send me straight to Hell for inventing it, it is still the best game in town. And, as 2008 is beginning, and a new game commences, I still stand by my 2007 death choice. Last Sunday only cemented my decision. I look forward to all of the match-ups in '08.

Writing the LSAT. At least I can say I wrote it. Yeah. However, I will still be applying to a couple of schools, and if I don't get into those, waiting a year, writing the test again and blowing it out of the water this time.

The Fantastic Four. With trips to the zoo, pay-day dinners at the Keg, Heroes, great conversations, Arrested Development, Whoop-Up Days, and a lot of laughter, Denise and I have had a great year with two of the best guys/men 2 girls could hang out with. Thanks for the memories, guys...

So, I am sure that I missed some of the experiences of the year, intentionally and unintentionally. However, some things really are better left unsaid...or at least never mentioned again. Thanks to everyone for making this a great year. You are all amazing.

Welcome to 2008. Here's hoping for at least one date with a man over 40, any date at all actually, sticking to a membership at the gym, getting into Law School, an amazing trip to Ireland, and possibly even growing up. Oh, yeah, and at least a couple more Boggle games.

Not quite where I wanted to go, but...

So last night was the much-anticipated, somewhat feared, and definitely long-worked for 2007 Year in review c.d. exchange...and all in all, was pretty much a success. We had about 12 people here...and almost as many c.d.s. It was an eclectic group, with family, friends, frenemies, old loves, new friends, and a plethora of musical tastes.

I, of course, had a mini minor melt-down...but let me say, I feel it was justified for the following reasons. Wait, let's give the story first for the readers who were not there...so, Adam and Jess. Everyone was playing their favorite songs from the c.d., and they were being received well. Then I got up and put on "One Man Guy" by Rufus. Immediately, some of the people there started questioning the title, disparaging Rufus, and just generally making fun of my choice. So, I said that nobody got to listen to the song...in other words, the spirit of the moment was gone...and I put on a different song while everyone half-heartedly said "Jenny, No." Now I know it was all in jest, but once again, I feel my (very very) minor flare-up was justified because:

1. Just because Rufus is gay does not mean that every song is about sex with men. So, stop looking for homosexual references in the title. Give the song a chance. Everyone else got a listen through.

2. I love this song. I feel like Rufus infuses it with a great deal of urgency, and sings it with the kind of emoti0n and care that only someone who is singing a song their parents sang/loved can. BTW, his dad wrote the song. So, I felt like when your judging my favorite song, you are hurting me a little. O.k., I know that is a bit irrational, and I know I am acting like a girl, but indulge me a bit because

3. I just had a life-changing day yesterday. I made a huge decision, and am saying good-bye to a phase of my life that lasted 12 years. A phase I gave everything to. I am a little on edge, and scared to death of the future. One where I have to be alone in church...a place where I have always felt so safe and comfortable, and have had someone to give the elbow to in Sunday School. So, I am sorry I freaked out a little, but I'm a little confused right now.

4. I put my heart and soul into this c.d. I know that some may have just found their favorite songs, and I will be the first to admit that I did that last year, but I spent literally months putting this project together. Picking and discarding music since about October, trying to make the playlist work since the beginning of December, planning the title and cover, putting a poem that I wrote on the cover, i.e. exposing a bit of myself I usually keep pretty hidden, and at the last minute finding I couldn't get some of the songs, and so having to re-work it again (although, I think I am even more pleased with the result!!) was an absolute labor of love. It is also a very revealing cd, because each song reflects my emotions regarding some of my experiences this last year. So, I know you were all just joking around, but it felt like you were stepping on my heart, just a little.

O.k., that was a little overly-dramatic, but just because I am 30, and going to try to become an adult, doesn't mean I can keep it up all the time. Besides, I have been reading poetry lately, and you all know what that does to me...

"I have spread my dreams under your feet-
Tread softly, because you tread on my dreams." Yeats

Anyway, I hope you all know I still love you all, and know you will give my c.d. a try. I can not wait to listen to everyone's creations. I am listening to my first one this morning, and it is both affirming of what I know about this person, yet also surprising in what it reveals about him/her.

Thanks to Denise for creating the group and bringing us all together.

Sorry about the rant-but if you can't do it here...

Please don't give up on me now - tomorrow will be a much better post.

jko

Chistmas makes you feel...murderous?

So, instead of going back to bed for 30 minutes after my shower (truly, one of my very favorite things to do!!), I have decided to write this morning and tell a little bit about my day yesterday.

It all began when I went over to the Mall to help judge the submissions for the Christmas story contest. The stories had to be written by someone from Kindergarten to Grade 5, and they had to start with either " 'Twas the night before Christmas..." or "Once upon a Time". So, three of us read through the 411 submissions. It didn't take as long as I thought it would for the following reasons:

1. Most of the stories were pretty short - usually about a page long.

2. Tons of them borrowed heavily from recent Christmas movies. There was a lot of Jack Frosts, Gingy (from Shrek...not a Christmas move, but Gingerbread man, come on), and some evil elf named Grimley showed up in about 50 stories??!! As soon as I saw these characters, I would pretty much stop reading as originality was the main criteria.

3. You could also stop as soon as you saw one or (shockingly) all of the following: knives, grenades, evil Santa, any killing of Santa, demons, Santa vs the Easter Bunny, wars, and any story cover absolutely bristling with glitter (I think there is still some in my my hair...) There are some seriously twisted kids out there who want to kill Santa, and who have seen movies that I probably still wouldn't watch...Saw 4 shown at the store isn't sounding so controversial anymore becuase of my favorite title of the day:

4."The night I thought I saw Jason Voorhies on Christmas and my Birthday" complete with illustration of a young child cowering under the covers while a fully-suited Jason stands menacingly in the doorway. This from a grade 4 student. I mean, I think Santa saved the kid, but it is still highly disturbing, nonetheless.

The winners wrote some sweet and original stories, and Chapters gave them 50 dollar gift cards. Tne winning school also received a 500 dollar gift card.

Have a wonderful morning and day, everyone!!

"Don't lie to the missionaries"

So I am officially trying to do something with my life.

This week I applied for two jobs, and got an on-the-spot interview at one of them. I applied for a legal assistant job, and the interview for that one went very well!! I know that there are a lot of more qualified people out there, but I did a pretty great job of impressing the lady who quizzed me. I thought I gave intelligent and thought-provoking answers, and I think she liked me.

The second job is the one closest to my heart, and it is an Event Planning job at the College. Yay!! I wrote a killer cover-letter, and I hope to hear if I get an interview sometime early next week. Cross your fingers, say a prayer, whatever!!! I would love this job!! Even if I don't get either job, however, it is good to be doing something. It is great to have a place to channel my energies, and come on! Who doesn't love the endless possibility of rejection? We all know I am an absolute sucker for it.

On that note, and really anything pertaining to the year 2007, I am narrowing down (once again) my picks for the year in review cd. There is an awesome amount of people participating, and I want to make this album the. best. ever. Some might be saying that it is not a competition, and believe you me, I was right there with you until yesterday. However, one Eric Garner, brother of Denise, raised the stakes by saying that his was going to be the best. Anyone who knows me knows that if you even mention competition, every nerve starts to tingle, the fists come out, and you have yourself a throw-down, courtesy of JKO. Uh-huh.

Just saying. Be prepared.

Anyway, it is officially the weekend and...no, wait. I have to work tomorrow. So, Denise, you can say I got the day off today, but you better lock your door in the morning, 'cause there will be a punching of throats tomorrow for anyone who is still in bed when I leave. At least I will get to be on cash where it won't be too busy...no, wait...

Ah, downstairs right now, there is my favorite show going on, as performed, as always by Jarrett and his girlfriend. On her part there is the screaming, crying, and begging, and he is maniacally laughing. Really, it is just the classiest people that live down there. If Denise was here, she may yell at them that Jesus doesn't like it when you beat your girl-friend, but as I have to go change my laundry in about 15 minutes, I don't want to make any waves. Hopefully I'll get a taste of my second-favorite show that goes on when I venture down there...

Ciao (or chow), all you beautiful people!!

Never go up against Jenny when Mocha is on the line...

O.k., this is it. Blog #100.

Wow. I don't really know what to say, besides "thank-you to everyone who helped me get this far"

Anyway, I have to start by thanking Denise for saying that she lost/I won the bet. I can tell you that it was definitely over the minute I took my first sip of the Italian Soda. Sorry to everyone who doesn't know what the bet was about...Ask me sometime and I'll tell you. Except Braden. I enjoy torturing you.

This weekend, we had a wonderful party for Keely on Friday. Unfortunately, I was absent for about 90 minutes of it, but what I was there for was fantastic!! If anything, it gave me a reason to clean my room!! On Saturday, we had the Ward Christmas Party, which was great! I think my favorite parts of the night included: the mad scramble to get the desserts prepared, Joseph mumbling to me something about the piano after my musical number, double death grip in the kitchen, the killer apron I got to wear, Santa at the party, and London Road's plethora of skits and dance numbers.

Have a wonderful week, one and all!!

"Say what you need to say"

"Even if your hands are shaking
And your faith is broken
Even as the eyes are closing
Do it with a heart wide open-

-John Mayer

Oh, John, remember when I dreamed that we were dating and you would sing "Your Body is a Wonderland" to me with your guitar, and you would be wearing that sleeveless shirt like in the Gap ad... You will always be justifiably sleeveless to me... Here is a line from the song I am writing about you:

"People thought you were ugly for so long
You had to wear the sleeveless shirt to prove them wrong
Justifiably Sleeveless!!!"

Just so all of you are aware, I am...a little drunk right now. Seriously, I am mere moments away from an obnoxious phone call to the one who loves them the most. Anyway, today was a pretty good day - nothing overly exciting. Tonight I am practicing with Mark Bruce, as we are singing in church next Sunday. Awesome!!

So, everyone enjoy your evening, and I will catch you on the way down!

Cheers. Frasier. Whatever.

In the air there's a feeling of...

A great big thank-you to John Mayer for helping me with my "Album of the Year" quandary. Seriously, people, I was losing sleep over finding my pick of 2007. John (consequently, my music boyfriend) re-released "Continuum" last month with some extra live songs and a brand-spankin' new single, thereby making this album my pick for the year. If you want my feelings on the previously released material, go to my blog in about November of 2006- I describe my (visceral) reaction in great detail. I have sampled some of the live stuff (added) and it is of course wonderful. I also enjoy the new song "Say", mostly for its Jenny-emotion-inducing lyrics. So. I can finally get to sleep and also buy this album. today.

Well, it has been action-packed couple of days since I last updated all of my devoted readers (At last count...about 4!! Hey, you gotta start somewhere) First, the LSAT.

Words I would use to describe the experience of writing the LSAT are, in no particular order:
grueling
panic-inducing
lengthy
cruel
enlightening

The experience is over, thank the angels/angles above, and I will probably write it again. I don't know if I want to wait another year to apply to Law School, but I should probably just see what my score is before I make too many long-term plans.

Second on my thoughts is the extra amount of not-so-nice people shopping in the store this Christmas. All day yesterday, the customer were cranky, and I was forced to play mom, and get extra-defensive on behalf of younger co-workers. I get that Christmas shopping is sometimes stressful. but her are a few ideas to make it a better experience.

1. Stop spending so much money!!! You don't have to buy everyone you know gifts, and you don't need to spend over 100 dollars on those you love. Having said this,I am probably in the wrong business, and I can't tell you how much the constant encouraging of people to spend, spend, spend on a daily basis makes me ill.

2. Focus on/create new traditions that are cheap and memory-making. On Sunday, we decorated sugar cookies and took them to the Bishop's house. There, we sang Christmas carols. A.fun.time.was.had.by.all. In my family we have the appetizer night on Christmas eve. I am telling you, it is going to be killer.

3. Remember that Christmas is what you make of it. Don't go into it feeling stressed about everything. Decide that you are going to be less commercial, and focus on the service, the funny caroling, the good food, etc. People will respect your sticking-it-to-the-Corporate-Man-attitude, and will enjoy your enjoyment of the holiday.

Merry Christmas everyone (never too early), and wish me luck with my present making. Heaven knows, I am going to need it!!!

"...It's bad enough we get along so well"

So here is my question for the day:

If a thing is meant to be, will it still work out even if you don't put in your part of the bargain?

O.k., I have not studied like I should have of for the LSAT. Consequently, I am not prepared for the test, and will not do very well on it. Subsequently, I am sick to my stomach and really upset with myself and my laziness. So. As long as I can get through it, it will be over, and I can get on to the next thing.

So, tonight Travis and I got to be managers at work, and I will admit, it was a lot of fun. I came to the store in a pretty bad mood, and after about an hour there, I was cheerful and happy to be at work. This was due to the wonderful staff on tonight, and my partner in crime/ my co-MOD/ the ever-impressive/delightful/hotter-than-Sylar Travis Jay. (This sucking up may be a response to my lingering embarrassment from the car incident yesterday!!)

Well, good night, and I hope all of you have the weekend that you have been dreaming of. I know I will not.
Here's to an awesome Sunday!!!

Mine was crazy...thanks for asking

What a day.

For those of you who have not heard yet (and for the staggering amount of people who read this), my dear Mary was in the hospital today, and just had her gall bladder (or the g.b. as Jess would fondly reminisce) taken out this evening.

It all started when she woke me up at 5:00am in excruciating pain, and I took her into Emergency. She was admitted within 20 minutes, and then...we both waited there for 5 hours. Mary in the Emergency room, and me out in the waiting room. Highlights included apple juice from the vending machine, old creepy guy who kept trying to get me to sit next to him ("Are you sure you don't want to sit here?"), the lady with a head wound, falling asleep on the really uncomfortable chairs, and getting into trouble for using my cell phone back in the ER. Luckily Mary is doing pretty well (we went and saw her tonight) and I am going to pick her up tomorrow. Oh, yeah. My other favorite part of the day was when I went to take Mary's car home, and it wouldn't start. Now, I know literally nothing about cars, so I started calling people who might be able to help. I called an assortment of people who were either not home or unable to help. So, fueled by no sleep, desperation, and worry about Mary, I was in tears by the time I called the ever-reliable Travis. I didn't want to call him because he already has his hands full with driving me around the city and taking care of the whole world, but like I said, there was definite desperation!! The best part of this story comes when literally seconds before Travis arrived, the car started. To Travis: words can not express my gratitude for coming to my (imaginary) rescue, my embarrassment about my panic and stupidness regarding automobiles, and my deepest apologies for making you waste your time.

As Denise and I pondered on the craziness of this day; the day that apparently Satan approved, we discussed a question. Do all girls have a JTW? If this reference is lost on you, I will tell you that it is the guy who you met, had a real connection with, and then who walked out of your life leaving you to wonder if you had just imagined him. (Note: If said person is witnessed by three roommates...he still may not exist!!) Flick had hers, Denise had her Carson Daly, and I had one once upon a time.

So what are the requirements for the JTW?
1. He must be unavailable in some real way. Examples? Either he is forbidden from dating, or he is moving in 3 weeks, or he is completely unschooled in the ways of dating/too young.

2. There is a definite connection between you two. The conversation flows, the similarities are legion, and/or there is a shared love of common t.v. shows/movies.

3. He moves away.

I think all girls have such an anomaly, and I think we are haunted for a good part of out lives by these men who seem too good to be true.

I think this will be the only post for the week, at least until Saturday when I write the LSAT. I will freely admit here that I am absolutely scared to death, and will be so grateful to have it over with, no matter how well or poorly I do.

"Say a prayer for me tonight"

I'm probably out of chances anyway...

Question:

When did I become the craziest person on earth? Seriously, lately I can actually see myself acting irrationally or really mean to someone - like I am out of my body watching myself and screaming "Stop being so crazy", but the irrational/uber-sensitive/cruel Jenny just isn't listening. She is just too crazy...she is suddenly even referring to herself in the third person and I am powerless to stop her...

So. If you have been on the receiving end of said nuttiness, please allow me to apologize and say that it is probably just hormonal (I know, it is no excuse!) and that I will do my best to get myself under control.

Really.

"But I don't know who would do the dishes, cause I'd be lying wasted in the road"

"And if the ancient wisdom came in bottles
I would show my terror where to go..."

-Sarah Slean

In an effort to create the greatest year in review c.d. this Christmas, I have been revisiting old music, introducing myself to new material, pirating from Jess and Adam's collection, and trying to pin down the perfect songs for 2007. In some ways it is really easy - finding the songs I love is never hard. Here are some of the bonuses:

1. Finding a song that personifies/expresses/exploits an emotion or experience I had. You know how it is...you are listening to a song and suddenly the lyrics just punch you in the throat. Hello! How did that artist see inside my head? This has happened to me a lot this year right from "So Unsexy" all the way to the new favorite "False Alarm" by James Murdoch. (wait for this one on the cd) I think I may be a person who lets myself become a little too involved in music (also the person who has to read poetry only occasionally due to the emotional craziness that ensues...) and can be easily swayed by the emotions of the song. But, this has also allowed me many great cathartic experiences when talking about personal drama just wasn't a possibility.

2. Sharing my music with those I love. O.k., I know that most people lost or misplaced my cd last year, (I know, I know, it was taken) but here's hoping that if you get a copy, you will at least give it one listen through. Indulge me. My music may be foreign or "interesting" to you, but it reflects a part of me, and I know most of you think I'm somewhat o.k. Come on - embrace the world of the female singer-songwriter...

There are a few complications, however.

1. Narrowing it down. There are so many amazing songs that explore the emotional roller-coaster that was 2007. It is hard to find the perfect balance to reflect everything. So, I will try not to make it a double discer. Really. Maybe I will also post a list of all the runners-up.

2. The problem with such an endeavor is the emotions which are laid bare. Just out there. For everyone who has any kind of analysis ability or knowledge of my experiences (and weaknesses) to see. And...hopefully not exploit.
"I have spread my dreams under you feet
Tread softly-
because you tread on my dreams" - Yeats

So, it will be fun, scary, thought-provoking, and, of course, a joy.

Anyway, the weekend is looking like it is shaping up to be a great time. Can't wait to:

meet the new guy
see the Christmas tree lit up (perfect start to my favorite holiday!)
spend time with my favorite Calgarian
enjoy "Chapters celebrates Kids" - should be a...time
read my new Buffy graphic novel) Don't judge me!
have dinner with Cam, Greg, and Erika

Hope you all have a wonderful couple of days...

Am I my biggest fan?

O.k., I have a question on this fine, brisk and beautiful November day. The question is: Am I pretentious?

I know that I occasionally make fun of people, sometimes think my musical taste is a bit superior to others', throw around big words when I can (and sometimes without realizing it - much to my embarrassment when people laugh at me), and once in a while have some adult conversations with like-minded people.

However, I don't think that I beat people over the head with my average intelligence and occasional flash of humour. Sure, I enjoy writing, (and my friends say I'm moderately talented) but I would never go around telling people I'm awesome at it. Or even, that I'm awesome in general. I hope that I conduct myself with some amount of modesty.

Dear (and most generous) readers, please let me know what you think about me and my opinion of myself.

Things have been really good lately (besides my daily panic attacks about the LSAT) and here are some of the highlights: Amazing trip to Edmonton, fun chats on Facebook with people I don't usually talk to, more background on the confession of a crush story, events coordinating at work, birthday celebrations with friends and one heck of a good waiter (so attentive), signing up at the Y to take some great fitness classes, and almost Telethon time!! Texas Brownies!!

Tomorrow I make my radio debut, as I pre-recorded my session for "Gay in L.A." today. It actually went very well, and our conversation was quite natural. Thanks to Andrew for making me feel comfortable and for giving me the opportunity to be a star!! I'm sure there will be just scads of people listening. But, you gotta start somewhere, right?

Good Night and Good Luck.

Top Night in progress

I hate going to work after a prolonged absence. The day is so ridiculously long, you always find a thousand things to catch up on, and a plethora of new issues/problems/events have risen while you were gone. Oh, Chapters...I still love you...And nothing makes the day go quicker than visits from other bored employees.

So, FHE was a lot of fun. I was excited to see the Blands' house for the first time ever. If ever there was such a thing as a Victorian explosion...it is personified in this house. Lamps, curlicues, antimacassars, stairways, Knick-knacks, tiny rooms, train sets, crown molding, etc. Wow. I felt like I had fallen asleep and woken up in an Anne Perry novel. Raking leaves with the ward was a lot of fun, as well as holding court in the kitchen with Denise was pretty great. I can't help it if we are the awesomest girls in the ward. Doggone it, people like us.

Anyway, this is pretty quick. I am off pretty soon for some serious birthday partying with the ladies right away.

Enjoy your evening, stay out of the wind, and try not to get rear-ended...it happens. Especially in Calgary.

There is always time for new shoes on Monday...

Hello again to everyone from the capital city of Alberta (and secretly...the capital city of my heart). Hope you are all enjoyng your Sunday, and that you are much more on the ball than me. I may or may not have left the city without anything set for Relief Society. The Bishop did ask me not to "check out early", so I am very sorry to all of my ladies, especially Heather. I promise I will do better this week.

I have had a wonderful time here which has included (in no particular order) shopping at Old Navy (new coat! new coat!), eating ice cream at the Marble Slab, pizza, hanging out with Sam-bois, Arrested Development (I need them back now...along with my dignity, Thank-you!), the Wii (hello, Tennis elbow!), finding out stories about your sister no human being should ever know about (my ears and Sears will never be the same), missed episodes of "The Office", sleeping on the air mattress, and successfully dodging whiplash (take that, Calgary!!), and a new purse (at least I didn't buy shoes, Braden). Tonight I venture to the far south of the city to stay with the other bois.

Today I also went to the YSA with one Sarah Fleming. It was fun to be back in the Whyte Ave chapel and so much fun to be with Sarah again. Sarah, I miss you and your laughter. I promise that next time I come to Edmonton, I will only visit you!!

I hope everyone has an incredible week-day eve...please, if you meet together, and you play a round of Apples to Apples, put in a Pavarotti or a Helen Keller for me.

Thanks!!

"They say it like they mean it"

I am a car accident virgin no more...Tonight, in Satan's very city (That's Calgary for all of you non-Edmontonians) we were rear-ended whilst riding with the ever cautious Ben Richards!! Actually, Ben's driving had no bearing on this freakish event. We were at a standstill in the traffic, and I was turned in my seat talking to Ginger when we were hit from behind. Ginger is pretty sure we are going to have whiplash, and my neck is already stiffening up. Here's to hoping that we are not ridiculously sore by Sunday....as is being predicted. Kill me.

Other than that, and the s-l-o-w-l-y moving traffic on the highway which may or may not have driven Ben to absolute distraction, we arrived in Edmonton relatively unscathed. We even (shock and disbelief) had a pretty fun time riding up together.

So, I think the real question of the night is why am I staying up so late? Those of you who know me know that I tend to fade after about 10:30pm. Actually, I am checking out the awesome radio show belonging to one Eric and Garth. So far, gentlemen, I am duly impressed, extremely entertained, enjoying the music, and wishing I could see the matching tees. Hello, welcome to the world of Denise and Jenny and matching "tops"! On the note of radio shows, I am soon to be a guest on another CKXU show, which I have found out is called "Gay in L.A." I am going to be giving a bookseller's perspective on the whole Dumbledore issue. Are customers talking? Not that I've heard. Are sales going down? Absolutely not. Apparently people just don't care. O.k., J.K., stop trying to make the hype last forever. It's just sad, now.

Anyway, I am sure that all of you are tired of hearing from me so many times today, so I think I'll go back to some facebook creeping. I just might be looking at your pictures, imagining myself in them and the fantastic conversations we're having...

Sleep well. I'll be on the air mattress...and loving it.

"She's not a girl who misses much..."

Over the last couple of days I have been the most bipolar person alive. I have gone from absolutely devastated to barely scraping by to freak-attack to pretty much o.k. Now that I am o.k., and realizing that it will not be the worst thing in the world to let go of some things, I feel a bit levelled out and ready to face the days ahead. So, good. No more Junior High nights.

While I am somewhat better, a question has been plaguing me for the last week, and although it is selfish, I am compelled to ask it. "Why do some people seem to get what/who they want, and others (i.e. me) don't?" I know there are a lot of answers to this question, including things I can do, etc. However, sometimes I have to wallow for at least a few days, and so I did that this week. I am sorry to all of the casualties of said pity-party. Jess, I think you got the brunt and I am sorry.

In happier news, I am off to Edmonton in a few hours where I will spend time with the bois, hopefully buy a new coat, eat some great food, and say hello to the city that I love!! For all of you here, have a great weekend. Please do not sit at home and be sad. Do something unexpected that will change you, even if by only a little bit. Remember...confession is good for the soul. It is, after all, how I found out that I am not completely undesirable to all.

Good Luck. God Speed. Remember I love you, even if no one else does.

"I'm not here to be your hero, I'm not here to keep you from the flames..."

"...Like your emergency exit"

It's Telethon time!!

This means musical numbers, Texas Brownies, time spent with Mom and Dad (and sometimes Cam), funny reunions with random High School people, getting to be a t.v. star (although, now that I've been on Global...wait for it...twice, maybe I 'm too good for Cardston local channel), and did I mention Texas Brownies. For all of you novices out there, the texas brownie is the most exquisite of all the brownies, and is a staple of the Cardston Telethon participants refreshments, made by my mom. Any of you who are wanting to come and hang out for this event are ABSOLUTELY invited.

On this note, I have been given an "Absolutely" quota. It is my new favorite word (ask any global news viewers), and I use it a tad excessively. I love this word because it is so strong and reassuring. When you ask someone a question, and the answer is "Absolutely!", don't you just feel comforted and warm inside? Don't you know that everything is going to be o.k.? Absolutely! Oops! I better stop before I reach my quota...

So, yesterday was not the best of days at work. People were just downright mean and cranky, and in the case of one guy, a bit frightening and possibly dangerous. The day was also not awesome because in the analogy used in "The Holiday", I was not the Leading Lady of my own life, but definitely "Best Friend" material. Again, I got so worried about making sure that everyone else was getting the thing they wanted, that I sabotaged my own possibilities. Not that there was any possibility anyway-it is me after all. And that is not to say that I only think of others and not myself. I am as selfish as any YSA member in Lethbridge has a right to be. But, maybe people can take care of themselves, and maybe if they don't go after the thing they want, then the missed opportunity is their own fault, and not mine, just because I may know both sides of a situation. I am not responsible for anyone else's happiness but my own. Okay, sorry for the cryptic story here - I just needed to get it out and hopefully move ahead.

At least there is a new day ahead! A night shift with the Jenny and Penny show, and of course, a rehash with the ever-understanding Emily M. Yesterday we got started on getting MyBooks somewhat under control - at least there are not 50,000 boxes everywhere. With the trifecta of awesome in there tonight, it should just about come together!!

Great day, everyone. It can only get better from here. Remember what a wise young man once told me: Confession is good for the soul!

"November's a special time of year...and I'll tell you why

So, funny story.

My phone is not as awesome as I previously imagined it to be; nor is it as reliable as I had anticipated. I set my alarm last night (or, in the wee hours of this morning) for 8:30, trusting that it would reset itself for the daylight savings time (Oh, an extra hour of sleep!!) So, my alarm goes off, I get up and start to do somethings and realize pretty soon that it is actually 7:30. Kill me!! At this point, I am already up and working on RS stuff (and really, still not feeling good at all), and so I know I will not be able to sleep again. So, I just called my parents to complain. It's nice to get sympathy for even the most trivial matters!

Well, I am exceptionally glad that this weekend is almost over, because I am about Chaptersed out. Our Local Author Event (yes, that is the name... I know it is boring, but I refused to go with "Authorpalooza") took place yesterday, and what a "-palooza" it was! It all started when the authors started coming an hour before the time I had asked them to. (Oh, are you shocked we're not quite ready for you?) Then, they all had questions. Then, the customers started coming. Most people were there for a specific book, and when we had some "technical difficulties" in getting that particular title on the system, I had to stand with the books (while the author did an interview for CFCN) and ask people not to take them anywhere while at least 15 people stared at me with hatred in their eyes, murder in their hearts, and whines on their lips. ("But that lady got to take one!") As they pressed closer and closer, increasing in numbers, voices rising in demand, I stood like a rock. No one was getting these books before we were ready to sell them. Thank heavens, it was only actually about 5 minutes...although it felt like 30. "A free-for-all with Martial Law" - thanks, Flick! It is my favorite thing when adults act like children because they can not get what they want. (Alright...pot, kettle, I know)

The Authors themselves were pretty crazy. One tracked me down to let me know every time she sold a book. She also hugged me twice, and then handed me a paper with her scheduled book signings and yelled "You've been Daisied!" Her book is about a daisy who wants to fly. Another one, after I showed him the ridiculous amount of food we had purchased for them, said, "Where's the coffee?"

Anyway, it went off very well (or so I'm told...I left early so I could come back for my split shift at 6:30 pm), and I am so glad its over. At least I got to be interviewed twice for Global news and once for the Herald. The term Events Coordinator was thrown around so much that even if it is a made-up position at the store, I am completely validated!!! Business cards can't be far behind!!

Well, it looks like it actually is 8:30 now, so I will officially start my day. Blogging is so much funner than sleeping anyway.

Jenny is at work...False!

So, here I am at home...working. Yes, I feel like I'm already moving up in the world, taking work home. Yeah.

I will feel so much better when this Local Author Event is over. It isn't that I haven't enjoyed planning and organizing it, it's just that it will be nice to be able to take a breath and focus on the children's section for Christmas. I really do find the event coordinating fulfilling, and as much as I may complain, I secretly enjoy being pulled in all directions at the store. In some Dwight-like way, it makes me feel important. Don't judge me! I am 30 years old and working retail. I've got to find the power and the validation wherever I can get it.

So, on the note of the Local Author Event, it has been a very enlightening experience. Here are a few things that I have learned:

1. People who write a book, and then publish locally are, shall we say, a little crazy!! Well, at least the ones that I have met. One lady keeps calling me with the same questions, and then comes in the store to ask them again, or at least to stare at me while I try to figure out how to walk away and end the conversation without appearing rude. Oh, we've already stopped talking, she's just standing there...looking into my soul in the manner of RGS. Then there is another author who had to come into the store to see "what the real-live Jenny looks like!" She also told me her life story and gave me a pen which she said just might change my life.

2. Publicists are also a bit crazy. They will call me and try to sell me an event, and when I have already accepted, they are still working me like we're at a cocktail party, circulating and networking. I know, I know. They just want to feel validated as well. At least they're professionals, and get back to me in a timely manner.

3. I am still learning. Managers, authors, children, performers, and even Lethbridge Herald advertisers have been very kind to this very green events coordinator, and I am grateful. However, I haven't made any glaring errors as of yet...I do not count the popcorn machine as an error. We gave the bank the 25 dollar deposit for a reason. Besides, I blame the mental case who put the machine into the car in a dangerous and precarious manner. The guy did not seem overly bright. How can it be our fault? I ask you?

So, the Hallowe'en Carnival. Carnivale! It went unbelievably well entirely because of the amazing staff we have working at our store. Everyone was so willing to help and the whole thing went as smoothly as possible. Anyone who knows me knows my dislike of the delegating...but when you have a host of reliable people to...rely on it is the best tool in the world. Yay!! I think the best parts of the evening were eating the popcorn, pretending to work while chatting with staff, going to O-sho with everyone later, and announcing that every kid there got a 5 dollar gift card!

Anyway, I should really clean the house and possible make some lunch. I am definitely feeling like the lettuce wraps. The noodles will be so easy to make with the aid of my new collander!!! It cost 24 cents. What? Yup! 24 cents. Thanks to the prettiest guy (at least when he wears the coat...) we know for finding the deal of the night...nay, the year. Guess what everyone's getting for Christmas? Just let me now if you want pink, blue, or white.

"If you don't know, honey, honey then you don't."

It is amazing what a difference an early walk, a quiet morning alone , and a good two hours research on the internets can do to lift a girl's spirit. Last night I was in an emotinal funk, because I could only see avenues closing in my life. This morning, several things happened that have brought a little peace into my heart.

1. During my walk I had the realization that maybe something is not worth holding on to if it is sporadic at best, and not moving my life forward. Now, there are a few things in my life right now that fit into this category, and I will not name them all. I know what they are, and I know what I need to do. So.

2. I found out everything I need to know for registering for the LSAT this week, and so I will be doing that on Monday. The test is on December 1st, and I can take it in Calgary. Awesome. November will be studying month, and I am looking forward to finding a favorite corner of the Lethbridge Public Library. Here's to actually studying for something and doing the best that I can.

3. I found 5 law schools to apply to, and any one of them would be fantastic. They are (from west to east) University of Victoria, University of British Columbia, University of Saskatchewan, Mcgill University, and University of New Brunswick. The deadline for these schools is February 1st, next year.

4. I got everything organized for tonight (Halloween Carnival), and things are still in the works for the Local Author Event and so I have things to keep me busy for at least a few weeks.

5. I talked to Jessica about visiting them in a few weeks. It will be so nice to get out of town and have a bit of a holiday. "Can we take a ride? Get out of this place while we still have time?")

Anyway, sorry this post is neither entertaining or ragin', but sometimes you have to put it down to analyze, reflect and plan. Thanks for indulging me.

Contraband blogging

I am going to tell you why I love my job. No, it is not because of the staff discount, although that is wonderful! It is because I took two hour-long "field trips" today..and I was being paid for them. Awesome! We had to go pumpkin and treat-bag candy shopping, so my co-worker and I (I really can't compromise his witness protection alias...) made not one, but two trips to vari0us and sundry points in Lethbridge. Favorite stop? North-side Dairy Queen. What were we doijg there? Wouldn't you like to know? Well, if you were here carving pumpkins at work, then you would. And you would also be reaping the delicious benefits of said trip.

Yes, I am at work...and I need to go back on the floor.

Good luck and...God speed!!!

At least he found someone not so "quietly dignified to talk to...she'll never disappoint there.

O.k., Christina Aguilera's "Still Dirrty" is an absolute guilty pleasure. Oh, yeah. It also gives a completely skewed representation of women and sexuality (listen to the words..) and just may be the dirrtiest song around. And yet...I am listening to it right now. Yeah.

On a more quietly dignified note, I tried said "quiet dignity" this Sunday at church...and it translated to "boring". My friends gave the impression that the experience of talking to "appropriate Jenny" was like unto the extraction of teeth...yup, even the friend who is always saying he should be more "quietly dignified" couldn't get away from me fast enough. Am I discouraged? Nay. It is a lofty goal to be silly but not rude...but like the good Olsen girl I am, I will do my best to persevere.

Work at the Chapters is about as crazy as ever, and has also brought me to a very important revelation:

If I were to die tomorrow, and could impart a few pieces of wisdom, they would be thus:

1. If you are watching Oprah and you see a book being presented, please, please, please (this is absolutely imperative so pay attention) please call your local book store IMMEDIATELY. Not an hour from now, not a day from now and definitely not a week from now. The book will be gone. It will. I am sorry to tell you this, but Oprah's power knows no physical or metaphysical bounds, and the book will be gone if you do not act now. I am tired of dealing with people who are so flabbergasted when they find out a book they saw on Oprah LAST WEEK is sold out. Guess what? You are not the only one watching this show. Shocking.

2. As a lowly "peddler of literary products", I have no control over the prices of books. What? A mere peon does not have financial clout at a multi-million dollar company? Astounding. So, to you...people (I use the term loosely. I am wont to say cretins.) who come in and complain (let your voice get progressively louder as you express your disapproval, throw books at me, slam your money down on the counter or wave it in my face) please let me assure you that the publishers have the complete control of prices, and if Heather Reisman can't change the prices, I certainly can't. And another thing. When I tell you the situation and offer you an address you can write to to complain to the actual perpetrators of this heinous crime, and you say "No, I don't think I will", I get the sneaking suspicion that you are 1. so lazy that you can't actually do something that will actually make a difference, and 2. A jerk who just likes to make him/herself feel better by bullying, belittling and patronizing me.

So. A little rage. I apologize to all of you, gentle readers. I had a rage-induced day in MyBooks where Satan's children came to visit. No, sorry, that is an insult to the Devil. These children would have made even him shocked. The best part of this was when I told a woman her child was intentionally hurting other children and she gave ME a death look. I'm sorry that you are a bad mother and I called you on it.

So, I am going to stop before I kill someone. I have whipped myself into a veritable frenzy of rage, and the only cure is Heroes. Hooray!!

Ciao Bella!!

"I'll SHOW you over-reacting...

So I am at home for thanksgiving and on my Dad's new computer. A beautiful computer it is. And how. Already there have been brothers-in-law aplenty drooling over the machine, and I have a funny feeling that if a certain friend met this mac, he would propose marriage on the spot ( to the computer...not to me). One wonders what his phone would think...

So, I was at work today and thinking about what my legacy would be if I died today (or suddenly left the ward..."wink") Here are some things that I thought that people would remember me for:

1. Inappropriate comments (unintentional and...not so unintentional) My friends can attest to the fact that I do not always conduct myself as a good RS president should when it comes to conversation. Usually these comments are accompanied by late hours, Denny's trips, and the encouragement of others.

2. Over-reacting. What? you may ask... Yes, I do tend to freak out when I think someone is condescending to me, when I am stressed out, or when someone tells me to stop over-reacting. Hmmm. However, this is always followed by

3. Apologizing. Now,while some may find this amusing...I think that I at least have the self-awareness to realize when I am acting like a child.

4. Make-out Challenge 2006-7. Yeah. I know that I am getting a pretty rotten seat in Hell for this one. Unfortunately, many people have enjoyed this game...and I, myself have a deep love of the comparing.

So, to all of you who know me. Please look a little closer sometimes. I think there actually is some depth here.

Well, at least I have great taste in music.

Is this because we were listening to Christmas music?

So, I wake up today and it is snowing. SNOWING.

This might be the most shocking snow I have ever encountered...and that includes the time it snowed in August. I guess I haven't officially cooled off since our lovely July, and so to wake up to a you-know-its-cold-'cause-its -really-snowin'-out there was a little shocking to the system. At least I have my ultra-cute weather-appropriate footwear to don today. What? You're jealous of my New York boots? You really should be. Plus...me, appropriately shod for once...pay attention, 'cause it happens about once a decade.

So yesterday I posed a question to a few friends, and now I'll offer it to the cosmos (and my future self) If you are a senator, shouldn't you have a cell-phone? Or, maybe the more important question is: If you are a senator, does that automatically guarantee that your pay phone call is "real"? Senator Joyce, were you really talking to someone on the pay phone, or were you, like so many homeless at Safeway before you, just trying to make it look like you actually knew someone. I would gladly relegate some of my tax dollars to your personal cell-phone fund so that you don't have to use the same phone as the people who live "across the street"

Yesterday, I also had a funny experience at work with one of the newbies. Jordan, who I swear is not a day over 14, is training on cash with the ever-so-suitably stern Travis Jay. Jordan overheard a conversation that Travis and I were having about the merits of tenors and other opera stars. This child (maybe he's older...I don't know!!) said to me "Most people wouldn't admit they liked Opera!" Hmm. Maybe he was afraid the cool kid at work was going to beat me up for liking something so lame! Seriously, you know you're in Lethbridge when liking Opera is a brave thing. Culture, anyone? Oh, man...I think I am now channeling Travis...

Anyway, I really need to venture into my favorite part of the house and retrieve my laundry. Hopefully there will be naughty things going on down there.

One can only hope.

I am watching it with or without you

What is your definition of Purgatory?

I will tell you one of mine. I imagine Hell to be having to de-sticker and de-security tag c.d.s and d.v.d.s for all of eternity. As I was doing returns of said audio-visual objects, I realized it had been a while since I had the pleasure of feeling the sharp corner of the security tag slide under my fingernail into the oh-so-tender skin that is found there. Yeah. Not even the fun of cash is worth that delightful sensation...

So, today I had the pleasure of helping select resumes to call potential employees for a job interview. This was an interesting experience because it felt a little weird to have someone's fate at your fingertips. As I was separating the pile into the yays and the nays, I felt like I may be either ruining or bettering someone's life with one decision. Little scary.

Anyway, I need to go and watch Heroes. I am addicted.

Everyone and their blog is packin'...

If blogging is like riding a bike and...other such things, then I shouldn't be awkward, right? Ahhh...see what I did there? Now your wondering about my checkered past with...bicycles.

O.k., worst start ever. Officially.

So, the last month has been as little bit...crazy with: things I'd never done before, fruitless job interviews with the devil, fantastic promotions at work, Victoria Park slowly taking over Chapters, a thousand new girls in the ward(How will I get to you all??), Ashley moving away (I miss you and your juice), Mary moving in (most likely to have her heart hurt a lot), our fridge dying, and then infuriatingly, coming back to life the day the Appliances guys are coming, Whoop-Up Days and the Ferris Wheel (remember how I used to be scared of you. I own you now!), the corn maze...again (although this time, not so much of a bust)

It has been one year this month since I came out of obscurity and began a social life. (I'd especially like to thank Denise for forcing me out) Its been a great year and I feel like I am a different person, absolutely. I have been extremely fortunate to find amazing friends, kindred spirits, actually. As Travis asked me the other night, how often in your life do you find people who understand you, share your (sometimes nutty/inappropriate) sense of humor, and are willing to hear you rant? I (sheepishly) add to this list the ability to withstand the monthly minor break-downs. At least, as Denise will tell you, I am a good apologizer...

For Jess and Adam, who moved away and left me no choice but to join the human race, I am including a little non-hormonal ranting in this post. And, it goes as such. If you are a customer at a book store and you do not know the full name of the author you are looking for, and you have no idea of any of the titles he has written, if you only say to me: "I think his name is Greenspan...and he writes travel...stuff.., do not...DO NOT treat me like I am stupid when I can't help you find this book. There is only one moronic person in that scenario and it ain't me. Another favorite of mine lately is people saying to me, "I don't know the title or the author...but I will recognize the book when I see it." To this, I say to them, "Thank goodness we only have 15 books in the store. I'll check around here...how about you check your car. Yeah. And then your house as well. Don't come back.

I leave this post today with a proposition (not that kind...please) for a friend. True love does exist. I have seen it. I have watched one sister find the person with whom she can share a perfect understanding of humor, even without words. I have seen how another sister gained confidence because of the unconditional love of her sweet husband. I have seen my brother turning into a father and husband to the woman he loves. I have watched two people face the hardest thing imaginable, and still come out of it stronger and unified. And, I have seen my parents' unending patience with each other. True Love is not a fairy tale, it is not something that just happens to you, or falls into your heart. It is commitment and work and devotion, and o.k., maybe a little bit of luck in finding someone to share it with. I have not been so lucky, yet. But, it is real. It's all in how you look at it.

Well, here it is. My return to the world of blogging. I hope you crazy kids appreciate it, because I will not be able to look any of you in the eye, what with all the baring of the soul and what-have-you.

Cheers.

This post is 100% Harry Potter free

Can we just talk for a few minutes about the amazingness (shut-up, red line...I know that is not a real word) of Sarah Slean?? At the Rufus/Sarah concert two weeks ago, she was definitely the high point of the evening!! (I love you Rufus, I just couldn't really hear you very well!! When it was just you and the piano, however, you were breathtaking!!)

Sarah was singing with just the piano, and her voice was powerful and flawless. Her live performances add an emotional depth to each song that just can't be translated on an album. She is just absolutely wonderful!!

Anyway, only craziness in my life right now!! My mom thinks I'm the world's worst daughter and sister (I probably am) because I am not going out to Magrath tonight, but off on a shopping trip for our RS retreat tomorrow. Fulfilling my calling. To be honest, I really didn't want to be the 7th wheel as usual, anyway. I know its been years since any of you were single, but try to remember what it was like to not have anyone to slip into the pantry with. Thanks for that. (Ouch, bitter much?)

On a happier note, I am now to be an Event Coordinator at work, working with Emily to have at least one event/month. Here are some ideas that I have thus far:

-Cooking demonstrations (o.k., this was Emily's idea)
-Poetry readings
-live music
-crafting for kids
-open mike nights
-local author signings and readings
-Health and Wellness seminars
-Writing contests for kids and adults

If anyone has any other thoughts, please let me know!! Also, I don't know how much longer I will be working there as I most likely will be fired because of talking excessively with other Staff members...Oh, you know who you are...

I could have probaly used another 12 inches at least...

O.k., call me just one of the masses, but I am unashamedly enjoying of the "Harry Potter". The movie last night was AWESOME!! It was absolutely worth the wait, and definitely worth the late night, and subsequent painful/hweh morning. (See? still not fully awake or coherent...)

Favorite Things about the movie:

First thing: Daniel Radcliffe gave a wonderful performance. While he was a bit emo at times (hello!! 15 years old, saw someone die, and does anyone remember all the yelling in the book?), I thought he captured Harry's growing emotional maturity. When he says to Sirius, "I'm just angry all the time", I was heartbroken. When he speaks of his fear that his connection to Voldemort makes him an evil person, his anxiety and shame are absolutely believable. He also captures the joy and confidence that Harry experiences while teaching the members of the D.A. So, Daniel, despite your pretentious desire to distance yourself from Harry, and also the pics that make you look not like the 17 year old you are, but a 50 year old porn star, I thought you were terrific.

Next: Imelda Staunton as Doloros Umbridge. Ooohh... she was completely terrifying!! She captured the character's desire to control everyone and everything at Hogwarts so well. And, how much did we love her office with all of the cats?

C. Michael Gambon as Dumbledore. While I was always a fan of the Richard Harris, Michael Gambon gave Dumbledore, strength, power, attitude and also portrayed the deep care he has for Harry. Which leads me to:

4th: The Wizard's fights in the Ministry of Magic. I thought the dueling was very stunningly visualized, and the final showdown between Voldemort and Dumbledore was incredible.

Anyway, I definitely need to see this movie again - possibly on an Imax screen.

More tomorrow, when my obsession starts to wane a bit.

Ranting while wearing a dress she made herself

Harry Potter!!! Harry Potter!!!

Tonight is the opening night for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", and we are going to be there. I am ridiculously excited for the movie tonight!!! I am interested to see how a book so large will translate into a movie, and I think the fight scene at the end in the Ministry of Magic will be amazing!!

Things are pretty low key right now besides the Harry Potter preparations and book release celebrations. Drama free, and loving every minute of that. Except for...

We are planning a Relief Society retreat for August at Spring Glen Park. When I mentioned in Ward Council that we would be doing this, I was belittled on all sides by the men in the room. "You are going to sleep in tents?" You guys are going to build fires"? I know I was the only girl in the room, and they were probably teasing (to a degree), but seriously, guys - do you not think we can handle this? I am just going to say this. "Who plans activities for you all the time? Who feeds you on a regular basis? Who makes the phone calls? Who sets up the parties? I don't mean to belittle the men...I just get the feeling that if we stopped planning stuff, we would never do anything. (Or maybe that is just because I am so unpopular that if I didn't invite people over, I might never have a social life). Nevertheless, we are pretty capable women here!! I think I need to read "The Fascinating Girl" a bit more, learn how to sew, accept the fact that girls are not good at camping, and instead go to picnics and "get myself into one predicament after another". The only flaw I see in that is while I am sure it is cute when an 18 year old is playing scared of the mean nasty cow and falling into ditches, it might come off as desperate and pathetic when the 30 year old is trying to get you to hold her because she is "frightened" by the lightning. Well. I digress. Ummm, I also apologize to the men I know who do plan things. I appreciate the efforts, and I am really not a scary man-hater... really...

Anyway, next time you hear from me I will have enjoyed every minute of the HP. And I hope the movie is over two hours, because that really wouldn't be too much Harry for me...

If you're my mother, don't read this post...

I am officially the world's worst blogger as of late. Why is this? Where is my motivation or desire to record the happenings of my "hum-drum life"? Where is it?

Yesterday I spent the day in Waterton where it was 35 degrees. It was very hot. VERY HOT. At one point I laid down on the rocky beach and slept for about an hour, off and on. Mmmm, the breeze off the lake was absolutely delicious and it was a great nap. Waterton was so beautiful, and I realized that I miss going there on a regular basis. However, there was one cloud darkening the love of Waterton horizon, and that was the amount of couples there enjoying icecream and each other's company. On Friday night I went for a walk by myself with my trusty ipod, but sitting by the lake watching the two by twos got a little old. Here I was in one of the most romantic places around, listening (I am sorry to say) to some emo-ish music by myself. I think that "Summer Heat" (that's right...I just named this season's disorder) is going to get the best of me. I foresee it being worse than the Winter Wonderlust, and that one almost killed me. I should have known it was coming on last week at the fireworks when my usual seasonal disorder victim was kind of cute and funny again...

Oh, Barf. This might be the worst way to start blogging again: desperation and thinly veiled hints. C'est la vie!

I wish I could marry my bed - then I would be happy.

Eureka!!

Again, I say: "Eureka!"

I have had a revelation (hence the eureka!) and it is thus: When you get an actual night's sleep, say, more than 3 0r 4 hours, you can actually have energy the next day. I know! It is unbelievably shocking!!! I am sure I knew this information at one point in my life, but since I have tried to act like an 18 year old again, I forgot.

Last night I went to bed at 10:00pm, and although I missed the midnight picnic, it was a wonderful night. No, wait, I lied. At 10:45, my phone rang and thinking it was alreay morning, and that it was Jo calling, I answered in a complete stupor. It took me a few minutes to realise who it was; however, I am still unsure of what the conversation was about. Oh, dear. What I do remember is that I was pretty cranky to Denise when she invited me to the midnight picnic. I remember saying "I'm sleeping!" in the whiniest voice possible. To be fair to me, people know I am pretty crazy when woken from sleep. To be fair to Denise, she didn't know I had been sleeping as my lamp was on - when have I not fell asleep reading?. I am sorry, Denise. I still love you and look forward to your next big idea. So, anyway, after I made it back to sleep just after 11:00 pm, I had an amazing sleep. An even delicious and divine sleep!!

Will I learn from this revelation? I hope so...probably not... Argh!! At least until there is an imminent Boggle game...

High pound, anyone?

If I was Denise Garner, (or Dennis Garmer) I would start this post by saying "A happy and beautiful Sunday to you all!' However, since it is me, I will just start with my usual blank statement/ question:

Does it stand to reason that 200 men in one room is a good thing if they are all kind of gross?

No. I did not go to the 25-35 conference this weekend. Instead, I played with Andrea, Chris, and the bois, did some R.S. stuff, had birthday hijinks with said Denise, and went to church. Boy, am I glad that I did that!! Church was funny and awesome today with crazy Sunday School people ("maybe you would have learned that in history class if you had paid attention!"), tasty with ice cream sandwiches!!, scary with Sister Crofts who had me in the death grip twice ("I thought you were going to the conference..."), and spiritually uplifting with Denise's wonderful, albeit short talk.

Anyway, this is a very small post, but I need to have a little rest before weekday eve!!

I am going to tell you that I am only a good Boggle player when I am not playing with Chris Jackson. He is like a Boggle savant. When we played last night, I looked at my pretty long column of words with a pleased air. Then I looked up and saw that Chris had 2 and a half columns of words. And, he writes much smaller than I do. Yeah. It was still fun, though. However, he didn't try to slip fake words by me like some (who could it be??) do, and so there was no ragin'.

Time spent with the bois in the last couple of days has been great!! And, I have a new Mark quote: "I'm totally freaking out!" I didn't hear him say it, but Andrea tells me he did while in the midst of a melt-down. Awesome!!

Well, today is the birthday of our dear Denise, and when I got home this morning, there was a big new t.v. in our living room. Yay!! The O.C. will look amazing!! Happy Birthday Denise, and I will see you when you wake up!

I'm all about the wordplay

Question: Which game is best?

Last night, we switched it up a little here at the ol' game house, and played Scrabble. I have only played this game about 3 times in my life, and my first memory of it, which I'm sure Ashley will appreciate, is waking up at the party after myHigh School Grad (yes, I fell asleep on couches even back then) to see Peter Simon playing it with someone else. Needless to say, I thought I was still dreaming... So, I enjoyed playing it last night. It was definitely quieter than our usual Boggle-Jenny-rage-fest (can you imagine if I had married Reid??), but it was fun to play with Denise as well.

We also mixed it up on Sunday with the Scattergories. Now, here is a game that reminds me so much of my family, as we used to play it all the time. Who could forget Chris's zany answers, and the first time Adam and I knew we were kindred spirits with the answer "nog, egg". I had a lot of fun playing it with the trifecta, especially when I was reading Braden's mind... mweh heh heh... Still, it really didn't have the spark, the competition, fast-paced frenzy of our favorite word game.

So, I am going to say, unequivocally, that Boggle is best. In all schools of Jenny thought.

I saw on Steve Morton's facebook profile that he included poetry he had written, and so I was thinking of posting some of my own. Then I realized that I don't want 134 people to read it , so I thought I would post where my readership is about a 12th of that number...here on the blog. So, here is something I wrote the other day. It is , of course, untitled:

Here is a memory to be made:
the room effulgent with the smell of grass
the light falling in-just so-
blurring the edges
of everything here
and softening me-
my prickly worry
my sharp disappointment
my rocky pride

-JKO

"you got stuck in a moment..."

Question:

Have I always been this crazy??? I know I joke with T-Korn about who is crazier, but lately I feel like I am spiralling out of control as regards "the feelings". Why can I not just say "I am done feeling this way", and it be finished? Although, to be fair, anyone who has seen "Something Blue" will know that having your will come true can only lead to havoc, hi-jinks, and people engaged.

Right now I am yelling at a character on t.v. who is annoying. Is that the actions of a sane person?

I have decided that starting tomorrow, I will be throwing myself into a new era (and I don't mean the magazine). Time to control my murderous rages, minor melt-downs, and crazy jealousies. I left junior high too many years ago to relive it. You will not find me crying in the bathroom. Well, you might, but that is just part of the fun that is me.

Really. I know y'all think its cute.