Friday, May 27, 2005

Jen

Welcome to June Gloom. It's hard for me to believe that here, in "Sunny" California, there is a month of possibly no sun. It's not even June yet, and this whole week has been overcast, slightly chilly and kinda gloomy. One of the main reasons I'm still even here (including job, lease, very close to ocean location) is the weather. I guess it's kinda nice to have some sort of weather change; it makes things interesting.

This morning, I was behind the SLOWEST Lexus in LA, so of course, I passed it up. I was expecting “grandma” as I had called her in my head, but it was some chick that was my age or younger. Not only that, but she has a nice car, and yet has all this shit hanging from the rearview mirror like a dream catcher and a tree shaped car freshener. I am constantly amazed by what I see on the road.

Has anyone seen the new Venus? I get nicks all over when my razor isn't vibrating. What kind of scam is this?

I just saw a commercial for this: Worst possible show idea ever.

"hot diggity dog? You should read my lyrics." - Anton Newcombe

I have no real plans for tonight – Nathan may be hanging out with another friend and Matt has already left for the mountains. Of course, I could watch “DIG!” for the fourth time if I absolutely have nothing to do. It’s a great movie that I never expected to like so much. It’s about the so-called rivalry between the Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols. The movie focuses more on TBJM than the Warhols, so you miss out on learning about the creative processes of the band. You do, however, get this real insight into Anton Newcomb and Courtney Taylor’s insane amount of jealousy for each other. Anton seems to be more jealous of Taylor's success and actually starts a rivalry between the bands. After watching all the footage of TBJM, you realize how much of dick Anton is and consistently wonder throughout the film how he keeps any people in his band or any fans or friends. If you check out the website for TBJM, apparently Anton doesn't support the movie due to the "exploitative use of the footage." It’s crazy entertaining, so rent it when you have a chance.

Keep music evil, man.

Oh, and have a nice memorial day.

Thursday, May 26, 2005

Jen

Is it just me, or has this blog gone too long without a picture? Let's post one then!

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I took this on Venice pier a couple of months ago. I really like the pier due to it's simplicity; there's no crappy restaurants, no performers, no video games. It's just a pier. Ahh, refreshing, isn't it?

It's been great having Nathan in, but I feel like we really haven't spent too much time together. I would like to thank work and traffic for that. Thank you. I should have been more prepared and actually taken a day off from the job, but alas, I am an idiot.

Monday, May 23, 2005

Jen

So, this catalog I've been working on goes on press (yes, I know the lingo now as well) this week and should have proof of my editing skills in a weeks time. Sweet.

My old roomate, Nathan, will be in sunny California from Tuesday to Saturday visiting us. I even cleaned today, when usually I spend this time to catch up on my favorite daytime television. What will happen when Nora finally finds out that her husband Daniel is gay and also a murderer! Or will Vicki's health fail (she just recently had a heart transplant) after she finds out that her daughter, Jessica, has another personality, just like Vicki herself once did!! I tell you, it's just too suspensful. I hate to say this, but I've been pretty much addicted to One Life to Live (ABC soaps) since I was in 6th grade or so. I got hooked back when Clint was sucked into a blackhole on his ranch. He was then transported back to the Old West, where all the people in that time period looked remarkably like the people in present day that he interacted with! It was great stuff I tell you. Ask David Sedaris; he writes about his OLTL obsession in "Me Talk Pretty One Day."

This was supposed to be a paragraph about Nathan, but all this soap talk made me forget what I was going to say about him.

Saturday, we are off to Los Padres with some friends. I am pretty excited about getting out of LA. My dislike for this city grows per passing day and not seeing it for awhile will rule!

Matt has never seen "The Sure Thing" so I am making him watch it tonight. It has some great actors, including my love, John Cusack, plus Tim Robbins as the guy who drives Alison and Gib to California to meet Nicolette Sheridan.

Friday, May 20, 2005

Jen

Whoo hoo! It looks like I will have my first (and most likely last) editing credit in our very hip book catalogue. It will be printed right under the graphic designer and a bunch of other more important names, but it will be printed! We are currently in the midst of putting out the website too, so once that is up and running, you can see all my hard work. I guess it's just another thing that I can add to my resume that is full of random crap anyway.

Why god oh why did these bands feel the need to put out a cover of "Under Pressure"? (I'm sorry, tsunami relief is NOT an answer.) It sounds almost exactly like the Queen/David Bowie version, so why, I ask, why make a cover if it sounds almost exactly like the original? Music gods, please answer me. I am so sick of shitty covers that are worse or exactly duplicates of the original. For Example, let's use Phil Collins.

"You Can't Hurry Love" - The Supremes. Phil manages to make it sound only slightly different because he is not a woman. For the most part, I didn't really like the original and certainly skip past when I listen to Phil's Greatest hits ( crap, I let that slip out.)

"Against all odds" - Phil Collins. Postal Service does a nice cover. It sounds different, adds a nice change and yes, I'm partial because I like Death Cab for Cutie. Shoot me.

Here are some other faves:
"Close to me" The Dismemberment Plan covering The Cure
"Always Something There to Remind Me" Braid covers Naked Eyes(?)
"Build me up Buttercup" - The Goops covers The Foundations
"Boys Don't Cry" Tuscadero covering The Cure
"True" - Duvall covers Spandau Ballet

I think I got all the bands right. I'm too lazy to look them up. And there's more songs I wanted to add, but it's getting late and I'm tired.

I've been having problems sleeping lately, so as I'm lying awake at night, I've been compiling lists of songs into specific categories that I have created. One that I have been working on the longest is songs with names in them. Of course, one of my first thoughts was Smoking Popes because they have an overwhelming amount of name songs. But, part of the rules that I have created is that I can only pick one name song from each band. Pretty difficult, eh? So, if we are talking Smoking Popes, to name a few, we have Rubella, Adena and Megan. Basically, I then broke it down to Adena and Megan, my more favorite songs and then chose Megan because it's just a great song. I've often wished my name was Megan because of it. Or Valerie. I used to and still love "Valerie Loves Me" by Material Issue. I mean, loove. The song isn't really that flattering to poor old Valerie who ends up all alone, but I wanted to have Jim Ellison yell "Jennifer Loves Me!" instead. Don't even get me started on "What Girls Want." I , unfortunately only have "Jenny (867-5309)" by Tommy Tutone (that's it, right?) as a claim to fame for my name, Apparently, my name is written on a wall and you should call me for a good time. Anyway, I've put together a CD that I'm going to send out to friends because I miss them. If you want one, let me know and I'll gladly send you a copy.

I'm off to bed.

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Jen

I feel like my desk is a sea of post-it notes and highlighters. If you told me 3 months ago that I would be editing parts of a book catalogue, I would have told you that you are a beer short of a six pack.

I’ve actually gotten really good at folding the post-it in an origami-like, efficient way that that makes the paper compact without any stickiness revealed. You know, you don’t want it to stick to the side of the garbage can or have anybody see my little drawings or read the little notes I write for myself in comment to other people’s notes to me. Example: “New Text, Batch 2 sort and edit” My comment: “Sort this!”

No really, I don’t mind it. It’s a change of pace, which is always good at a job you already love.

Is it strange that I write about seeing Pete Yorn and Post-its, while my boyfriend writes only poetry?

Sunday, May 15, 2005

Jen

Last night, as I was making a very legal, very consciencious right turn onto my street, the car that I turned in front of, not cutting off in anyway, began to honk like crazy. Here I was thinking something was up with my car, when she pulled next to me and yelled" That was stupid! You're stupid!" Apparently the 8 miles of road between us when I turned was not enough. And those are California drivers.

Later that eve, Matt, myself and upstairs peeps Mike and Zoobie, went to O'Brien's on Main Street to see friend's Ryan and Danny do a little acoustic set. O'Brien's is a cute little Irish pub like place - nice big booths, dark grren interior, punk or Flogging Molly on the jukebox and delicious chips (fries). Anyway, the buzz was that Pete Yorn was there to celebrate - this is where it gets fuzzy - his birthday or a friends. Now, for most people, Pete Yorn is pretty much a nobody. Let me rephrase that; he is not extremely well known. Now, let say if Bob Dylan walked in the bar, things might have been different. All people I happened to be with did not seem to know Mr.Yorn or his radio hits "Life on a Chain" or "Strange Condition" (there also might be another song off the new album but I have no idea what it is.) which is fine. Really, I think they are good pops songs; well written catchy tunes. I bought "Music for the Morning After" after I heard "Strange Condition". It's a decent album with some incredibly cheesy songs. Matt thinks it's a little too adult contemporary. Back to my story. The rumors were true, "The Yorn" was in the house. He watched Danny and Ryan play, and hung out at the back of the room with a couple of guy friends. Seemed like a pretty regular guy that just happened to have a couple of albums out. Good for him. So, can I add this to my "Celebrity Sightings List"? I mean, I do have the host from Streets Smarts on there, why not Pete Yorn?

1. Host from Street Smarts
2. Helen Hunt
3. Ron Eldard
4. Brittany spears
5. Paulie Shore
6. Pete Yorn

The Getty opening was really nice. I'm glad that we got there early so I could actually spend some time with the art. By the time we left, it was a madhouse; it was nearly impossible to get close to any photograph. I met a few artists, a few collectors and a few other people. The Frederick Somer cut pieces are incredible. I wish there were more. And as for Paul Strand, the Getty features all the famous photographs; even if you know nothing about photography, you have seen this at some point and time. Oh, and how could I forget? The Getty, the white palace at the top of a hill, is amazing itself. The view is killer and it's worth going just for that.

Monday, May 09, 2005

Jen

I just got a card from my friend Barb, the very same Barb I used to work with when this lovely little blog started. This is the same person with whom I would bitch about our crappy fax machine at the office, wonder where our assistant's day gifts were and look through countless pages of the Office Depot catalogue for a new coffee machine when ours broke. Due to office/cubicle life, you make little games for youself to make to day pass. We had this strange long jar that had no real purpose, so at first we used it as a penny jar and called it the Jamaica fund. When the pennies stopped collecting, we labeled it the empty pen jar. The jar was only there to collect empty pens; pens that we used so consistantly, that all the ink was drained from the pen. I remember that I would get pissed if anyone would take a pen that I was trying to use up from my desk. Then it became almost a race between us. Who would empty a pen first? When a pen would be empty, we had a mini celebration - you know, stop work for an ice cream break or a beer after work - and then ceremoniously put the pen in the jar. Anyway, along with the card I just got from sweet Barb, was an empty pen. I couldn't believe that she remembered that, and it helped to lighten the somber note of the card.

Yesterday, as a mini treat for myself, I got a pedicure and manicure for an amazing $20. What a steal! I've been trying to talk Matt into going with me, but he won't budge. Please tell me what is so unmanly about having soft feet and hands? Ok, maybe I answered my own question. It's just that manicures and pedicures are soooo nice. Who doesn't want to soak their feet it hot, bubbly water and then have them massaged?

This eve, I'm off to the Getty for an exhibition preview of the photographs ot Fredrick Sommer and Paul Strand. I've never been to an opening at The Getty, so I'm hoping it's exciting. I'm also hoping for free drinks too, but you never know with these events. I've been to exhibition previews at the MCA in Chicago and it was a cash bar!!! Hello cheapies! We have free drinks at the gallery and we don't even charge an entance fee. If I have time tomorrow, I'll blog about it.

Thursday, May 05, 2005

Jen

Back again - twice in the same day!

Anyway, I finally have some pictures to post so here I go.

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When I put all of our clean clothes on the bed to fold, Tiger is always there to grab socks right out of my hand. I usually bury her in the clothes so I can get some work done.

Now to Christie's visit.
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This is us somewhere in Topanga Canyon. We found a series of water tower like things in the canyons and hiked to most of them. Here is a water tower thing.
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This is Matt and Christie pretending to play hopscotch for me (gotta love the action shots!) on this abandoned basketball court that also had a hopscotch court? (is that what they are called?) on the pavement.

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Later that night, we hung out at the drum circle that happens pretty much every Saturday and Sunday night on Venice Beach. It gets pretty intense at sunset, and we got there just in time. Sometimes, when it's windy, we can hear the drumming at our house.

One week later. . .
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This is me, Matt, Byron and Dave at Duke's in Malibu. I would link you to Bryon's blog, but it has mysteriously disappeared. Hmmm. Anyway, I thought it was a cute picture.

Good times.

Wednesday, May 04, 2005

Jen

Two quick things:

1) For L.A. residents, my friend Eric is performing at the Comedy Store, 8433 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90069, doors at 7:00pm. He is really funny. This is not a lie. Support my one and only comedian friend.

2) I know you love comics. This Saturday, May 7th, is Free Comic Day!! Basically, this day was created for comic book stores nation-wide use to promote comic reading. Anywho, my friend Nathan, who created the loveable, yet funny, Plume and Peck, will be featured in a free comic book that will be distributed on Saturday. The comic book will be called "Jackson Faceman Super Happy Fun Hour." Click on this link to find a participating comic store near you. Go, get the free comic book and enjoy.