I'm applying for the best job ever!

It's my birthday, by the way.

I finally finished my video application for the Best Job in the World. Video applications are due 2/22, so of course I finished mine 2/21. You'd be amazed--simply amazed!--at the amount of crap I got done today, crap I've had to do for weeks. Funny what a month-long trip away from home will inspire a girl to do. I mailed a ton of letters, sent off boring paperwork, took care of my taxes (read: mailed all forms to an accountant), did Addieville duties, picked up some Argentine pesos, tidied the house, and more, more, more!

Plus I went out for an hour this evening to celebrate Baby Neighb's birthday. And I watched a movie and did this video! Life is good. Hope I'm not too sleepy when I wake up all too early tomorrow.

Watch the video, but don't write evil comments or give me less than 5 stars. 'Cause then, you know, I'd be sad--and a girl shouldn't be sad on her birthday.

could she be any cooler?

I've told you before about some hilarious kids in Georgia I have the great fortune of knowing. I could have sworn I've mentioned Rio before, but perhaps not. She is the wonderchild of my NYU friends Eliza and Eric Obenauf (of $2 Radio fame).

Check out how awesome she is!

(photos courtesy of Eric & Eliza Obenauf)

noncommittal blogging alert

I decided to get a Tumblr.com account. My username is jannygirljr. Thanks, Lawson, for the inspiration.

There are often moments when I see things I want to share with people, but it's getting to the point where Facebook is rife (or overstuffed) with users' posts on TONS of stuff, so I'm discouraged from posting mine. I don't know why I resist--maybe I don't want people to see how much I am on Facebook wasting my life away.

The articles, photos, and slice o' life stories are often not substantial enough for a blog entry (in my strange rule system), so I usually end up not sharing. Tumblr has granted my wish to be able to have a thought occur to me and post it immediately. Today I remembered a funny photo of my dad and decided to post it along with a story. I guess I could've written about it in my blog, but it seemed more fun to post on my mini-blog. Ew. Mini-blog.

Adieu.

gnocchi by your personal chef, Janny

Last evening I decided to use the recipe I'd found in a magazine called Family Fun (my mom sent it to me--some creative ideas in there, kids!). So what did I make? I made homemade gnocchi from scratch! How strange is that for me?

Let me first say that it was FUN. Secondly I'll out-dork myself and reveal to you that while I was waiting for the water to boil on the stove, I sat down and WORKED ON MY PUZZLE.

Love,
Old Italian grandma

P.S. The gnocchi was really good. Next time I'll try a homemade sauce instead of store-bought, perhaps.

my neighborhood

some favorite photos (summer 2006)

taken in Toronto

taken in Toronto

Just one of many gorgeous spots on the Islands in Toronto

My grandfather's name was Herbert Geddis, and he was a fireman. I was
delighted to find a fire station on Herbert Av. in Toronto!

The Tilt-a-Whirl at Erieview (or "Pera's") Park in Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio. A few
months after this was taken, the longtime amusement park was dismantled and is now no longer.

Here are some photos from summer 2006 that I shot. I have recently tried to get back into photography a bit, and I'm succeeding! I want some fancy lenses and such that will fit my digital SLR. When I bought my digital SLR a year ago, I was under the impression that my rather large collection of lenses and accessories (given to me by my grandfather) would fit the body of the new digital. Wrong impression. It seems there's no adapter to get these lenses to fit on any camera made in the last ten years, so I'm pretty disappointed.

The need for this statement won't ever arise, I'm sure, but here it is anyway: Please do not repost, reprint, or share the photographs on this site without express written permission from Janet Geddis. Thank you.

that time R.E.M. played a private show for me and I didn't show up

I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS! My dear Brandi posted a couple of Blogotheque videos on her awesome blog, and in my monthly review of her writing, I stumbled across this one of R.E.M. playing in Athens.

Playing behind my house.
Literally behind my house. Maybe fifty feet from my porch. WHY DID I NOT KNOW THIS WAS HAPPENING? True the shows aren't publicized. True Michael Stipe doesn't know we're friends (even though we are, of course). Oh I'm sad. But also excited. I mean, R.E.M. played a show next to my house.

See it here. Now if Sweet and Sarah Beth could cry with me for a minute, I'd feel better.

foodie

Asian Noodle Bowl (complete with chopsticks I usually use to stir tea!)

Garlic Shrimp with linguine

Two hairy guys eat my food and claim to like it.

Brown rice, zucchini + broccoli all spiced up, and herb baked crunchy chicken

Delicious Hummus of my dreams

I started cooking in the last few months. Turns out I'm not all that bad! Also turns out it takes forever to load photos onto blogger. (Anyone know how to speed up that process?)

I do not exist.

I am standing in a home not recognized by UPS, FedEx, Pizza Hut, Papa John's, or Dominoes.

You see, this evening marked the third or fourth time I've found out from a worldwide, highly reputable delivery service (this description does not include the pizza places mentioned above) that my "delivery address does not exist." It's lots of fun to pay for expedited shipping only to discover that you can't be shipped to due to your own nonexistence.

Granted, my house address is a little misleading. The house itself is in a little community of homes off one street, and the house address bears the name of another teensy street that forms that back border of the small neighborhood. But let's go over a few key points here:
1. The teensy street EXISTS.
2. The teensy street has a NAME.
3. The teensy street has a LEGIBLE ROAD SIGN.
4. It is the year 2007 (soon to be 2008!) and I do reckon there's better technology out there than paper maps and compasses. (No, I'm not besmirching the glory of the compass. But an in-cab cheapo GPS system seems fairly routine these days, and what stops 'em from calling the main office or--dare I say it?--the phone number on the shipping label, my number, for more descriptive directions?)

Now I have to wait a whole extry day for this and this.
And that makes me feel like this:

boo!

Another Halloween, another crazy night of dressed-up tomfoolery in Athens.

Jim had the idea that I should dress up as Olive Oyl. I do believe I mentioned this in a previous blog posting. Well, I did do this, and I pulled it off beautifully, having all the makings for a genuine Olive Oyl outfit (and body) right here in this little house and head o' mine. For people reading this who either don't know me or haven't seen me in awhile, I'm long and very lanky--and a bit too skinny for my frame. Believe you me, this makes for a good start.

I found a long, stretchy black skirt I'd bought at a NYC street fair my first or second year of college. Paired it with two shirts, both of which were tucked in to the hiked-up skirt: first, a tight-fitting white turtleneck (gross), then a red, long-sleeved shirt. I made sure to show the white cuffs of the shirt and the white turtleneck from underneath the red shirt. Then I wore big, clunky, beat-up brown boots (another 1998 NYC purchase), my old Doc Martens, on top of a new pair of bright white tube socks.

The hair was the hardest part. You know how Olive Oyl has that creepy little hairdo--it's all slicked back with Princess Lea-like loops on the side covering her ears and a little rounded ponytail-bun in the back right on her neck? I managed to recreate it! Armed with handfuls of rarely-used hair gel and never-used hairspray, I created a cement-like helmet of hair.

Next came the makeup. Had to put on lots of pale makeup, exaggerated eyebrows, rosy cheeks, and not much lipstick.

I'm thrilled to report that, when all was said and done, it was quite obvious to the casual observer that I was Olive Oyl.

As soon as my card reader is discovered in this messy house o' mine, I will post some photos.

May 13, 2006 - Saturday

6:39 PM - Graduation Day, or, "Oh, Hon": a LIVE UPDATE!! This is a very special blog entry. You see, Matt & I are sitting here drinking bubbly pink champagne [on ice] to celebrate MY GRADUATION, which is taking place AS WE SPEAK. D.G. sang "Pomp & Circumstance" to me earlier today as I faux-marched, and now Hon & I are celebrating with bubbly. So here's the really exciting part: we're posting photos AS WE ACTUALLY CELEBRATE. So if you're a nerd who's online this second, you're really up to the minute with what I'm doing. And you're cool. Love, Janet Photos: 4 Comments - 2 Kudos

	Joe	Y'all are just hot. Posted by Joe on May 13, 2006 - Saturday at 11:08 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	amysalley	i don't know him, but i'm just going to go ahead and say that matt might be america's next top model. i mean, his film is fierce. Posted by amysalley on May 14, 2006 - Sunday at 3:29 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Tinta	I was not online with you Saturday but was probably doing the tasting at Shiraz about that time. Alas no pink bubbles though - my fave. Happy Graduation to YOU and to me (me, b/c those students will be leaving Athenstown therefore making traffic & parking more tolerable - yahhh for summer). Posted by Tinta on May 15, 2006 - Monday at 9:34 AM [Remove] [Reply to this]

Barbara

Late in responding, but congrats!! I, too, was supposed to graduate that day, but my ***** advisor didn't turn the paperwork in on time. Long story. ...but I don't want to take away from your moment. YAY!!!!! Posted by Barbara on May 23, 2006 - Tuesday at 7:54 PM

5/8/06 - What the hell am I doing drinking in L.A.?

May 8, 2006 - Monday

5:57 PM - What the hell am I doing drinking in L.A.? First things first: Does anyone know the song to which I refer in the subject line? It has been in my head since I ordered a drink on the plane on the way out here and haven't been able to get rid of it completely. Ah, 'twere it not for my sister, I'd never own Bran Van 3000 songs on old mixtapes. Second things second (not surprisingly): I am sitting at Carley S.'s apartment, working on my final project for one of my classes, which seems so very improbable as my UGA life 3000 miles away. I'm trying to care about the assignments I have due in the next 27.8 hours but can't seem to muster up much love for them. Time for school to end, I suppose. This trip has been quite good so far. In fact, I'd venture to guess it's been just about what I expected. I have lots of free time (aka alone time) since my main visitees are busy with "real" jobs. I maintain a fairly booked schedule at home, but seeing someone else's jam-packed life from the outside certainly is interesting. I want to have all my friends here just freeze their worlds and play with me for a week. (Oh yeah, I'd have to cancel my exams, too. Hmm...) Don't get me wrong: I am having a really good time during my hours spent alone. I've been wandering, have taken pictures, read Carley's L.A. guide book, delved into _The Way the Crow Flies_ for the second time (aahhh...best book ever), written yet-to-be-mailed letters, visited the pool, strolled the Santa Monica Pier, caught up on some phone calls, drunk some lusciously wonderful tea lattes from The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, blah blah blah. Being alone with lots that I HAVE to do (i.e., 1 exam, 1 paper, and 1 final project) is another story entirely). I am now searching for ways to distract myself, and this is when I need D.G. & Matt & Carley to not be busy!!! Anna G. is going to take me to dinner tonight, which will be thrilling and fun. I guess I should just get right back on that ball and keep truckin', eh? Farewell to those who made it this far through my nonsensical ramblings..... Currently listening : Drinking in L.A. By Bran Van 3000 5 Comments

	K	will you still be in LA on friday? if so you have to have to have to go see jon brion play at the largo. please, for my sake. Posted by K on May 8, 2006 - Monday at 6:17 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	SUPER JAN!!	Interesting you should say that, as my friend Carley suggested it already & said it was a very cool, very L.A. thing to do. I'm definitely for it if I can get a ride & charming company. Anything for you, sweet Kathleen. Posted by SUPER JAN!! on May 8, 2006 - Monday at 8:01 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Joe	While you're there you have to TP-roll Spielberg's house and yard. It's a very cool, LA-type thing to do. Posted by Joe on May 8, 2006 - Monday at 11:36 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Christa	We found that cd on a jukebox in an Oxford pub and played the shit out of that song, meanwhile alienating all the toothless old Brits who just wanted to hear Genesis and Joe Cocker or whatever. Posted by Christa on May 9, 2006 - Tuesday at 4:32 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

Brad

Jaynet, I'm not sure if you knew this, but this song is in fact track 1 from the soundtrack of one my favorite movies EVER. It's slightly cheesy, especially towards the end, but if you ever get the chance to pick up Playing By Heart, which has an all-star cast (including, but not limited to, Ryan Phillipe, Sean Connery, Angelina Jolie, Gena Rowlands, Anthony Edwards, Gillian Anderson, Jon Stewart, Dennis Quaid, and Ellen Burstyn), you will hear a clip of aforementioned Bran Van 3000 song after the opening credits. Totally hot. I miss you!! Mwah, B. Barfield Posted by Brad on May 9, 2006 - Tuesday at 5:07 PM