Throwback Thursday

Almost three years ago exactly (April 10, 2013) I threw my BFF Breanna a bachelorette party in Greenville, SC complete with penis cookies, fun accessories, a fancy dinner, silly games, and lots of drinking and dancing.

Sunday Social

1. What is your favorite thing to do on a rainy day?
Take a nap, read, watch a TV show or movie…

2. What is your favorite thing to do on a summer weekend?
Be outside swimming somewhere!

Sliding Rock is so fun

3. What is your favorite spring activity?
Steeplechase (a horse race)! Already got my dress for this year…

4. What is your favorite way to spend a winter day?
Well if it’s snowing then sledding!

5. What is your favorite season and why?
Fall! I love the weather, the fashion, Halloween…

6. What is the best birthday you ever had?
Hmmm that’s a hard one. They’ve all been pretty good!

my 30th

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Do you play games of luck/chance for money? Have you ever played bingo for money? Visited a casino? Placed a bet on a horse? Bought a lottery ticket?
All of the above! Haven’t played bingo or bought a lottery ticket very many times or in a long time for that matter. Casinos/slots are fun, especially in Vegas! I love betting on horses… I have been to the track in Dallas and Seoul and every year I go to Steeplechase.

Vegas 2008

Lone Star Park 2009

Steeplechase 2010… It’s all about the hats

2. Will you be preparing and/or dining on the traditional corned beef and cabbage meal this St. Patrick’s Day? Mashed, baked, hash browned, french fried… Your favorite way to have potatoes?
No, I will be making bangers and mash and Lucky Charms cupcakes! I like potatoes any kind of way.

3. What’s the last thing you felt ‘green with envy’ over?
Women who are naturally skinny… Not fair!

4. What’s at the end of your rainbow?
A pot of gold obviously… I could really use it.

5. March 12th marks the anniversary of the death of Anne Frank. Anne’s diary detailing her time spent hiding from the Nazis during the war ranks as one of the best-selling books of all time. Besides your blog, do you keep any sort of diary or journal? Was this a habit you developed as a child or is journaling something new for you?
My blog is my journal. As a kid and teenager I did keep diaries though. I have them all in a trunk. It’s hilarious to read through them. I even wrote really bad poetry!

6. What’s an item in your home or closet that contains every color of the rainbow?
I have a rainbow flag that says PACE that I got in Italy. (Pace is my last name but it also means “peace” in Italian.)

7. Write a limerick with you as the subject.
There once was a girl named Jen
She’d been wanting a job since who knows when
Finally she has one
So much shopping to be done
Heck yes, can I get an amen!

8. Insert your own random thought here.
I got a free ARC of Jeanette Walls’ new book in the mail yesterday… Super excited!!

We Want to Know Wednesday

1. Are you affected by the “Winter Blues”? Does winter drag on where you live?
We’ve had pretty good weather this winter but I’ve still been depressed. I think that has more to do with my life/job situation though. And I want it to snow just once!!

2. What is spring like where you live, and when does it arrive?
It’s like spring in any other place with four seasons I suppose… It comes at the end of March, with lots of rain and flowers.

3. Do you have plans for spring break or an upcoming vacation?
My spring break is next week! I will be starting a new job, which I am thankful for since I’ve been looking for one for awhile! I am going to Chicago for a long weekend after the semester is over though (beginning of May).

4. Have you ever done a true spring break to a beach somewhere to party?
Yep! When I was a senior in high school. Unfortunately no pics but I do have some from “senior week” just a few months later (also in Myrtle Beach, SC)…

5. What is your favorite thing about spring?
Going to the Block House Steeplechase in April. It’s a tradition and annual high school reunion. Super excited this year since I missed the last two while I was living in Korea.

High 5 for Friday / Friday Favorite Things / Happies and Crappies / Fab Five Friday

1. I had a job interview on Monday. I haven’t heard back yet so I’m gonna assume I didn’t get it but I’m still holding out a little hope…

2. On Tuesday I took a road trip with my brother, sister-in-law, and their friend. We stopped in Concord on the way and had lunch at Olive Garden (I chose something from their “Lighter Italian Fare” menu… good job me), watched a commercial being filmed at Outdoor World, enjoyed some froyo, and played games at Dave & Buster’s. Then we continued on to Chapel Hill where we had dinner at Spanky’s before the Carolina vs. Wake Forest basketball game.

3. Wednesday I took a hike and Riley came with me. How sweet! She loved climbing on all the logs.

4. Wednesday was also my BFF Tessa’s birthday. She lives in Tampa so I couldn’t celebrate with her but I’m meeting her in Chicago in May.

NYC

Washington DC

Baltimore

Charleston, SC

St. Pete Beach, FL

Caribbean Cruise

5. Yesterday I got my student loan check in the mail, and bought my plane ticket to Greece! I will be spending September 21-30 in Athens, Santorini, and Mykonos. I booked an awesome place to stay in Athens yesterday too: City Circus Hostel.

As for the crappies this week…

I’ve been pretty depressed. Being on a budget and a diet means I am basically not leaving my house. I’ve been feeling really antisocial anyway so the plans I’ve had I’ve cancelled. I feel like I’m never going to find a job in a library and I’m wasting $50,000 on my master’s degree… Pity party for me!

Sunday Stealing

1. What were you doing 10 years ago?
Living in an apartment with my friend Rheannon, going to college, and working at Goody’s.

2. By this time next year, I…
Will have an awesome job and my own apartment.

3. Do you think the United States will elect a female president in your lifetime? Do you think this would be a good thing?
Yes I think so and of course it will be a good thing!

4. Which fictional TV show character you would shag anytime?
Tyrion from Game of Thrones.

5. Who is your greatest enemy?
I have a few…

6. Tell me about your most recent trip of more than 100 miles?
I went to visit Laura in Columbia, SC to watch the Golden Globes.

7. Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus?
I use Google to make sure I spell words correctly.

8. Do you have a nickname? What is it?
Jen is short for Jennifer…

9. What are you dreading at the moment?
Nothing!

10. Do you worry that others will judge you from reading some of your answers?
No.

11. If you find an outfit you love but the size on the label is larger than you want, do you buy the outfit? Why or why not?
If it fits me then of course.

12. Even the biggest slackers are anal retentive about something. What are you anal-retentive about?
Lots of things. Everything in my bedroom has to be perfectly arranged.

13. Out of all the books you read as a child, which one had the biggest influence on how you are today?
I think all the books I loved as a kid made me a lifetime reader and inspired me to pursue my master’s in library science. The Berenstain Bears were my favorite.

14. Which Golden Girl would you want to spend a night on the town with?
Blanche!

15. What is the one product you would never buy in its generic form even if the generic is half the price?
I am pretty picky about ranch dressing… This is the best ever:

16. How old were you when you stopped believing in Santa?
My dad told me he wasn’t real when I was five… Jerk!

17. What is the one smell that turns your stomach without fail?
Vinegar.

18. If someone holds out a carton of milk to you and asks you to sniff it to see if its spoiled, do you?
Sure.

19. You have a completely free day and $2000; what are you doing?
Assuming I have to spend it in this day then I would go shopping, to a fancy dinner, and to the spa.

20. What is the most used item in your home?
My computer!

Weekend Update

Friday I got a facial and went to dinner with friends at Olive Garden. I had a frozen strawberry mango margarita, zuppa toscana, lasagna fritta, and parmesan crusted stuffed chicken with garlic parmesan mashed potatoes. YUM!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday afternoon I went to visit my friend Bobby in prison. He cracked me up with a story about how he got to go to Burger King with a chaplain and didn’t even remember how to order. Then I went home and watched American Horror Story while eating some delicious white chili cooked by my stepsister Ruth. Then I drove two hours to Columbia, SC to visit my friend Laura. We watched Magic Mike.

Sunday Laura and I went to brunch, walked along the West Columbia River Walk, got cupcakes, and watched the Golden Globes! I was happy with most of the winners but really disappointed by the dresses. I didn’t even have a favorite!

Saturday 9

1. Who or what sleeps with you?
My boyfriend and cat.

2. Last time you saw your high school best friend?
A year ago… We are still best friends but I live in Korea and haven’t been home in a year!

breanna and me

3. What do you do when you’re sad?
Cry, mope, eat, sleep.

4. What do you wear when you are relaxing around the house?
Pajamas!

5. What did you do immediately after high school?
Went to Senior Week in Myrtle Beach, had a fun summer hanging out with friends, and then went to college in the fall!

jennifer, lena, me, megan, and breanna at senior week

6. Is anyone on your bad side right now?
One of my friends just bailed on our girls 30th birthday cruise because she stopped drinking. I’m a little offended that she can’t hang out with her friends or take a vacation without being wasted.

7. What’s the first thing you do when you get online?
Check my email.

8. What jewelry are you wearing?
None, except my nose ring.

9. Post a current song that you like. (Or name it and tell us why you like it.)
I am really behind on what songs are popular in America, or Korea for that matter… I’ll catch up soon when I go home!

D is for Dallas, E is for Edisto, & F is for Flagstaff

I’ve been slacking on my Blogging From A to Z Challenge so now my goal is to finish by the time I leave Korea (less than 5 weeks now!). I couldn’t think of three different places that start with D, E, and F so you just get one of each!

Dallas, TX

Daniel and I lived in the Dallas area for two years. While I didn’t like living there, we did find lots of stuff to do to make the best of it. I would never recommend visiting, but if you happen to be in the area here are some attractions…

The Sixth Floor Museum and Dealey Plaza: Examine the life, death, and legacy of President John F. Kennedy through artifacts, photographs, documentary films, areas where evidence was found, and eyewitness accounts.

Amusement parks: I visited Six Flags (with friends Susan, Melissa, and Lindsay) and Hurricane Harbor (with Daniel when Wyatt and Callie came to visit).

Sporting events: Dallas is home to the Cowboys (NFL), Mavericks (NBA), Rangers (MLB), and Stars (NHL). But they also have arena football (we went to a game vs. the Philadelphia Soul), NASCAR (I went to the Samsung 500 and HATED it!), and an awesome horse track that has $1 days (Lone Star Park).

this shows how much i hated NASCAR

Fort Worth: Right next to Dallas, I actually prefer this city. It has some cool stuff to see, such as the Water Gardens, Modern Art Museum, and Stockyards.

Edisto Island, SC

As a kid, my family (and other families from Saluda) always went to Edisto to vacation. It is much more remote than Myrtle Beach or Charleston. There are no hotels, malls, or chain restaurants. You just go for a week, rent a house, swim in the ocean with fish and dolphins, and take long walks on the beach and collect seashells and shark teeth. The last family trip we took there was in October 2005 (now we go to Sullivan’s Island since we have a guest house to stay in). Here’s the only digital photo I have from that trip, and a bad photo of the Ravissant, the house we always rented there.

me, my mom, and my sister-in-law

Flagstaff, AZ

My mom and I stayed here for a night after visiting the Grand Canyon. I just thought it was the cutest little town and would be a perfect place to live. Close to the Grand Canyon, Sedona, and Phoenix. Lively arts and cultural scene. Maybe I’ll move there one day! Unfortunately the only pics I have are from The Grand Canyon International Hostel where we stayed.