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72 ways to make someone's day -- which will you choose? Jenn posted at 10:53 PM | |
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my big plans for tonight? well, i was invited out with my co workers and invited to some other friends' house, but instead, i'm curling up with my laptop and my sex and the city marathon on HBO. i'd much rather be alone. seems like a common theme with me, i know, but eh, don't knock it. i checked my application status for sfsu and it says that i need to send them a check. i know i sent a check with the application. i went to my bank website and they don't show that check or the check for csun having been cashed. i can't get into my old computer to check and update my quicken cause it's being stupid even though it was off all day. i'm glad i checked though. but it's just obnoxious. we got to leave work at 2:30 today, which was nice, so i have even more forced vacation time that i can't do anything with. but i guess if that's all i have to bitch about, then i should just shut up. Jenn posted at 10:51 PM | |
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why do i want to see win a date with tad hamilton so badly? ever since i saw the first trailer, i've wanted to see it. why do some movies grab me and others just leave me cold? is it the marketing? the stars? the plot? my mind is boggled. also, why do i feel more like a writer when i'm tapping away at my laptop? what is it about the portable computer that screams "i am worthy of being read?" the words are coming from the same place and yet i feel like they should have more meaning. be taken more seriously. they won't be, of course, as it is just me, but still i feel very professional. something about the click of the keys on a laptop. probably too much carrie bradshaw. more to ponder before i go to bed. Jenn posted at 2:54 AM | |
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well, i found out today that on christmas eve, the owner decided to close the office on the 2nd and charge everyone a personal or vacation day for it. which just sucks for a variety of reasons. one -- not finding out about it until now makes it near impossible to go anywhere for the four day weekend. two -- i don't really have leave built up, so i'm being charged my one personal day that i haven't even earned yet. which means no paid vacation for jenn until september. great. three -- i was looking to go back to work that day to take my mind off the fact that it's the first time since i met caryn that i can't be there for her birthday. of course, i guess there are positives. i can get to work on the apartment and have four whole days at the start of the new year to really get my new routine in place as far as apartment cleanliness and diet/exercize. but i just didn't want to be forced to take leave i haven't earned. i was saving that personal day for a sunny day that i could turn into a four day weekend or something at my discretion. i guess i can't have everything. so how should i use my new found four day weekend? where should i go? i've got the wanderlust still and i feel like it would be an opportunity lost. but i can't get a flight at a reasonable price at this short notice, so it has to be driving distance. hmmm... Jenn posted at 2:48 AM | |
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i'm back from the east coast and trying to set up my christmas present -- a new laptop! i'm using it now to post and i'm very excited about it. i need to get some sleep, so i think i'll veg out in front of my west wing dvds. yup, sounds like a plan. Jenn posted at 2:54 AM | |
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just got back from caryn's and my blog is set to ca time, so it's actually after 3:30am. i would have been back sooner, but i got lost on 395. i never drove on the beltway and all that when i lived here and now that i don't, it's all become a bigger blur. i figured it out though and have arrived home safely. i had a lot of fun even though we really didn't do anything, except watch sex and the city and look at old pictures on caryn's clie and talk about random shit. that's the best -- the randomness. i barely even see them and talk to them rarely, but we all just pick up where we left off. it's great and i hope it continues to last through our friendship. Jenn posted at 4:35 AM |
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christmas eve was tumultuous and seemed to last forever, but not in a bad way. i arrived in my homeland at 5am, which seems like an ungodly hour, but when you’ve been flying all night with chatty pilots an flight attendants all you want to do is get off the plane. i couldn’t wait to get my baggage and get home to take a nap. i had several things i had to do before services and then of course, going to church. i slept until about 11:30 after the consumption of 2 ½ bacon egg and cheese biscuits from mcd’s. anna called then, but i was in too much of a haze to talk to her. i slept for another hour before chris called. my mom brought the phone in and i answered it sleepily. he informed me that he was getting ready to get in the shower and he figured he should get me up first. he’d be over in about 45 and i should get out of bed and get ready. that’s when i realized we’d been friends too long. it was quite a funny exchange when you think about it and i’m surprised that i even remember it. as most of you can atest, talking to me while i’m half-asleep is like not talking to me at all, in that i won’t remember even having the conversation, much less what was said. he took me to red, hot and blue, where i hadn’t ever been and hadn’t had the food since middle school. it was quite good, though not exactly a “first date” restaurant as i called it. a little too messy for that. we talked and joked and had a good time. there was a bit of a mix up of where i was supposed to pick up the car, as my dad was still at home, waiting for the fed ex truck to arrive. chris and i ended up going shopping for christmas cards (his not mine, though i’m still only about halfway done) before he dropped me back at the church just in time for the family service. my cousin sang very nicely and i saw my fam before locating my mom to get the car keys. i definitely wonder how we survived as a one car family before i learned to drive. i did some last minute shopping for chris and then i was off to take daddy home and wrap christmas presents while watching old xf episodes. daddy went back for the 8:30 service and anna came over for a few minutes after her parents dinner party. then it was time for church. my family and i crammed into the last pew with chris and matt, mrs. meyer, mrs. webb, danny and eric as well as other non-"old school" people. we did the usual hymn singing during communion and chris and matt made fun of my singing. i got the last laugh after all because the woman in front of us, complimented me on my singing and told me that i made her night. not often you get told that ;) we just finished exchanging family gifts and i'm looking forward to getting some sleep after this supremely long day. Jenn posted at 2:49 AM | |
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i'm getting into my manic stage when it comes to taking a trip. i've been in that stage so much this month, it's starting to feel like normal instead of crazed. i'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. i've started making my "things to do" list and brainstorming all the things that need to get done before i leave the house about 7:30 tonight. i'm using the big suitcase this time, even though i'm only going to be gone for a few days. somehow, winter clothes are just bulkier and i always need the room. we had an earthquake yesterday, which caused much more panic for my friends back east than it did here. i didn't even feel it, which is pretty normal considering how far from me it actually was. apparently it was pretty bad, like the northridge quake. i didn't know about it until i stopped home during lunch and turned on the tv which had interrupted normal programming. one of the anchors was talking about getting your earthquake kit together and knowing your emergency plan. i have no such kit and have no idea what might go in one. is it like any emergency kit, like for hurricanes and whatnot? those i can prepare for and i know what to do. same for tornados though i've never lived through one that came close. i know about getting in a doorway, but other than that i'm totally clueless. anyone want to shed some light on this? i got an e-mail from amazon.com yesterday, saying that i had received a refund for an order i had placed for a christmas gift for kristen. i just got off the phone with urban outfitters and they apologized for the mix up, but amazon.com's estimation of their inventory was incorrect and they don't have the item that i purchased. so now it's 36 hours to christmas basically and i don't have a gift for my youngest cousin. anyone else and i would just write them a check and i know they would appreciate it, but somehow a 9 year old just doesn't get it. i'm patiently waiting by the internet for news of erin's twins. she was going into prep this morning at 7am est for a 9am est surgery to deliver them c-section. that was almost 3 hours ago. scott is supposed to let us know as soon as possible as he has his trusty laptop in the waiting room with him. i've got tentative coffee plans tomorrow with anna and tentative lunch plans with chris and chris. anyone else want to get together outside of christmas eve service? Jenn posted at 11:45 AM | |
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kb and i finally got the calendar into kinko's yesterday, so that's another thing to cross off the list. i decorated my christmas tree (finally!), but i don't have many ornaments, so it looks kinda bare. i think i must have another box somewhere because i don't remember it looking that way in years past. now all i have to do is get my christmas cards out and i'll be mostly done for christmas. i have to finish my shopping tonight to get the cheap shipping since i missed out last night to get the super save shipping. Jenn posted at 12:16 PM | |
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today was amazing. tyler was incredibly surprised and touched that i flew out for his graduation from vcu with a bs in mass communication. somehow i've managed to stay awake for almost 48 hours and i have no idea how i've done it. must have gotten a second wind (or two or three of them) at some point. uncle dave was there and i haven't seen him since i was a freshman in high school. it's hard to see him now that i'm all grown up. he still looks like the guy who taught me how to make leather jewelry and always had plenty of sundrop whenever we came to visit, but now he's also the person who decided to have his wedding on the day of his son's graduation from college. it was so hard to reconcile those things. it was so good to see him, but he's a totally different person to me now. i was on the verge of tears most of the day...of happiness, of sorrow, of funny memories, of uncomfortable feelings. but i got what i came for -- i watched tyler walk across the stage in his cap and gown after all of his hard work and receive a degree. i'm so glad i came. you can't put a price on that and even if you could, it's definitely more than the plane ticket cost. 
Jenn posted at 1:34 AM
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i don't know what made me think of it...well, i do, but it's really irrelavant to the thought and it would probably give away too much about my thought process. i was just thinking about my first boyfriend and how he asked me out. we were walking with two other friends to gym class last period. he asked me if i wanted to do something with him that weekend. it was memorial day weekend and i was going on the beach retreat with myf. i told him i couldn't, but maybe some other time. then, bam! we were going out. we went to our separate locker rooms to dress out for gym and he waited for me before we went into the gym. we held hands as we got in line and everyone in the class seemed really excited that we were going out. people who i thought didn't even know my name were coming up to us and congratulating us. we spent the gym class walking around the gym cause we couldn't go outside for some reason. it seemed like such a big deal at the time. as it turns out, he was gay and i didn't really want a boyfriend, so it didn't last long. but i guess you always remember your first. strange that i would think about him today. i guess sometimes the mind makes weird connections. i'm so ready to go home and finish packing and cleaning and decorating before i have to leave tonight. oh and funny thing -- kb got called for jury duty! i'm helping him fill out the forms for an excuse since he definitely won't live in la county anymore. Jenn posted at 6:58 PM | |
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i finished shopping for tonight and i have purchased what i've picked so far. i've got mom, dad, ellen, julie and john taken care of. that leaves kristen, grandma, grandpa, uncle dave, aunt sherry, uncle mark and aunt suzy. i wish i was done. i still have christmas cards to do. i'm not sure i'm going to get it all done this year. my weekend trips are really cutting into my spare time. it's like april all over again, but with a major holiday at the end instead. i love it and hate it at the same time. i miss it when it's over, but man, am i stressed right now! Jenn posted at 2:38 AM | |
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pet peeve of the moment: i really hate when people call me hon or sweetie or darling or doll on the phone at work. i don't know these people and it just really pisses me off. it feels very demeaning. back to christmas shopping at amazon.com....anybody want anything? Jenn posted at 5:26 PM | |
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it must be opposite day...here's my msn numerology: You're sure to feel energetic and raring to go today, Jenny. The essence of this rejuvenating 1-Day is at hand, and you will likely feel its effects in the workplace more than anywhere else. well, that couldn't be further from the truth. i must be pmsing because i've felt like crying all day. the day is totally dragging and even though i went to bed earlier than usual, i'm exhausted right now. i've screwed up with the copier, i've gotten reprimanded for something i was already corrected on early this week, j is pissing me off more than usual and it's insane caller day. i really can't wait until the day is over. the office is at lunch now, so it should be quiet, but colleen and gil are in a meeting, so i still have to be alert. bah. i stayed an hour overtime yesterday to get all the stupid christmas decorations up around the office and then i hear today that dona wants j to go to the basement and see if there are any more! oh, hell no, i'm not doing this anymore. i don't even have my apartment decorated and i'm tired of doing it here. they aren't your typical decorations and they don't really fit in with an office. they are more knick-knacks and stuffties than posters and twinkly lights. oh well, hopefully there aren't anymore and it's all a moo point. also, shout out to my friend kristin who just rocks -- she knows why! Jenn posted at 2:57 PM | |
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yea for getting all my laundry done with half an hour to spare and not running out of quarters! i was starting to get desperate for work clothes, so i forced myself to stay home and get it done right after work. i feel very accomplished, even though i've still got to fold two of the three loads. kb and i also got the photos together for his surprise christmas present for his mom. hopefully tomorrow we can go to kinkos and get some prices. i am determined to be a strong woman who will not fall apart once her man walks out of her life. so far so good...but he hasn't actually left yet, so we'll see. i helped evan and kb find plane tickets for evan to come out and help him drive back. right now, we're to concentrate on our big trip to vegas next weekend. okay, i'm going to go try to find something to watch on tv. and maybe fold some laundry. Jenn posted at 12:31 AM | |
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don't save it all for Christmas day find a way to give a little love everyday don't save it all for Christmas day find your way cause holidays have come and gone but love lives on "Don't Save It All For Christmas Day" by Celine Dion Sprucing up the site for Christmas...I'll be back with a new top graphic after dinner. Jenn posted at 11:41 PM | |
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i'm listening to in the christmas mood and looking at the victoria's secret catalog and it reminded me of a strange christmas memory. i can't even remember what grade it was, but it had to be either junior or senior year because caitlin was there as was byron, chris and jon. we were christmas shopping at union station and the group of us (perhaps matt was there too?) went to vicky's. caitlin and i were looking at the cute christmas stuff and the guys were begging us to try stuff on and drooling over the cardboard cutouts. caitlin and i relented and agreed to try on a spangly bra each. we both liked it and decided to buy it. we showed each other but not the guys who were very upset. then we bought each other identical sparkling make up bags to exchange on christmas eve. i don't know why that popped into my head, but apparently vs and christmas music makes me think of interesting things! Jenn posted at 10:34 PM | |
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i'm not really sure how to blog about this. i haven't been able to think about it much without crying, so i'll just put the facts down for now. kb is quiting his job at the end of this month and moving back to kc -- and we're not going to do the long distance thing. that's all i've got right now. i'll blog about my fantastic christmas party experience at a later time...i just can't focus right now. Jenn posted at 11:31 PM | |
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i finally finished the mailing that i have been working on since november 18th. i have folded, stuffed and mailed approximately 3800 newsletters to our clients. thank goodness for my coming job change because apparently joan wants to do this quarterly. i don't think i could handle it! so, now i'm back to doing nothing at my desk and i kinda like it. i like having a little variety, even if it's just this kind of stuff and folding for two weeks just wasn't cutting it! i'm going back to yoga for the first time in six months on saturday. d and flor and i are finally going to meet up for yoga and lunch like we used. the last time we did this, we all worked together at hpr. now we work at three different jobs (well, flor's is still the same). i'm glad we're all still friends. d's been like the sister i never had, so i'm glad we haven't lost touch after we both moved on from hpr. i'm also hoping to meet jessica (from xpfc) at heather and bethany's on saturday with her baby, leif. it should be good fun and bring my xpfc meetings up a notch. i put up some of my christmas decorations last night. i pounded a nail into my door and added my christmas wreath, which didn't make it up last year. i unpacked my d56 christmas tree and put it up behind my venice advent calendar on the corner bookcase. i hung my stockings by the fireplace which i have always wanted to do since i was a little girl -- i finally have the fireplace to do it! then i tackled the tree. i got the base and skirt up before going to the carport and grabbing the tree box out of my storage unit. i got all the branches put in and the star on top before going to dinner last night. hopefully tonight, i can get the lights on and the ornaments hung, so it will officially feel like christmas at my house. at some point this weekend, i've got to get my christmas cards done. if i don't get them done this weekend, i don't think they will get done at all and we can't have that ;) Jenn posted at 12:39 PM | |
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very late in the day, but i thought i'd go ahead and post my positives. perhaps it will aid my sleep tonight.
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July 18, 1999. That was the last time it happened. I only know the date because I found the pictures of us in my room when I was packing up to go home. In those four years, there have been quite a few things around us that have changed. We don't go to church anymore. We all don't live in the same county or even the same state. Some of us are in college, finishing college, forgetting about college. Some of us are getting married, have been married, wondering if we'll ever get married. I journaled on the plane ride home -- It was good to be together, even if the only thing that connects us is our past. The four of us are at such different places in our lives, but we can still share a meal at IHOP (some of us more than others!) and laugh and joke and kick each other under the table. We are ADULTS now, I am certain of it. Our conversations, our mannerisms -- everything screams maturity, no matter how much some of us want to deny, while others of us embrace it. I took no photos; I only have memories of warm hugs outside in the cold wind and promises of future get togethers. Feels pretty good. Jenn posted at 12:38 AM | |