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.

I want to be a part of BA, Buenos Aires--BIG APPLE

Oh, it was probably a mistake to sing that song. Now it's going to be in my head for hours. Ick.

All that is to say that I'm returning to Buenos Aires for the first time since I studied abroad there in spring 2001 (that's pre-economic crisis, folks). It was one of the best, most rewarding, and most challenging times of my life. It is my belief that the majority of traveling students feel that way about study abroad programs.

When I got to Bs. As., I was a month away from my 21st birthday and spoke not two licks of Spanish. (Granted, I could say "Hola," which I thought was spelled O-L-A, and I could say one extraordinarily rude thing that didn't sound so bad translated into English.) The first full day I was there, I was STARVING and had no idea how I could go eat. I went to a neighborhood store and pointed to an orange juice container (something familiar!) and perhaps a pack of crackers. Smiled a lot to show my gratitude. Ate the snack and was still hungry.

One of my randomly assigned roommates was a hot young thing from Columbia (that's the university, not Colombia the country). She was confident, funny, smart, and (joy of joys) Spanish-speaking! She took me to a restaurant we found around the corner from our place and ordered for me after translating the menu items.

photo courtesy of Arturo Vasquez, random guy I found on Google Images search

I met so many friends there, started feeling more excited and open-minded about my life (which had recently gotten sort of bland and sad for me, friends and loved ones living away from NYC or moving to other countries). A semester in BA was exactly what the doctor ordered. Since my mid-May 2001 departure, I've been daydreaming about returning. I've spent hours upon hours looking at maps of the city and poring over my photos of gorgeous buildings, lush parks, charming little plazoletas.

Am I very different from the Janet that landed at the Buenos Aires international airport almost exactly eight years ago? Perhaps. Do I want the same things out of this trip as I did the last one? No.

I'm going to try really hard not to annoy my traveling buddies with tales of people they've never met; I'm going to make the effort to keep those old stories to myself (and perhaps email them to former fellow students of the ill-fated first edition of NYU in Buenos Aires). I don't want to relive the long nights I spent drinking too much tummy-expanding Quilmes dancing with friends.

What I'm most excited about is strolling down the beautiful streets, wandering through the parks, soaking up the energy of the city. (Oh you sweet, sweet cliches--keep on keepin' on!) I want to shake myself awake a bit and be somewhere where I'm not entirely comfortable. I want to practice my Spanish and have a lot of alone time. I want to drink wine in a park-side cafe with Liz and Chris and Sweet.

I'll be gone for a month--just cashed in my SkyMiles today for the plane ticket. I'm so, so happy. I'm at the point in my life where this makes sense: my job can be done from anywhere I have internet access, I have some money saved for an apartment and living expenses, and I have the time. It just so happens that one of my dear friends will already be down there (Chris is spending 3 months in Argentina); it just so happens that two of my best friends will be taking turns sharing my adorable apartment with me. Sigh. I feel like a girl with a big ol' crush that makes her smile to herself all the time.

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.

$2 Radio & Vroman's Bookstore

When I went to the Book Expo America this past May, I was thrilled to see some old friends (Eliza, Eric, Alissa!) and really happy to meet a new one (Patrick Brown of Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, CA). Imagine my surprise and delight to have stumbled upon this blog entry, written by Patrick for the Vroman's site, starring Eliza & Eric of $2 Radio!

Independent publishing houses are able to publish works that you might not ordinarily come across while browsing through Barnes & Noble's bestseller displays; independent bookstores are inspirational and inspired places where you can find all sorts of reading material to feed your brain.

I am so excited to be a part of all this in my own small way--perhaps this time next year I'll be ready to say that I've assumed an even bigger role!

Did you see me on TV?

Tonight's (Wednesday's) David Letterman show features Dave talking about the quilt my aunt made him as well as a little zoomed-in shot of Jim and me in the audience. (I'm opened-mouthed, surprised he mentioned Auntie Dorothy despite my having reminded him of the gift she gave him years ago.)

Here you can read about my stardom. Clips are unavailable, much to my fans' chagrin.

http://www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/wahoo/index/php/20080507.phtml

The end.

Love,
superstar

i now live on mars...

...since I was abducted by aliens.

Come save me and my poor father!

Voudriez-vous une cigarette?

In what I see as an incredibly wonderful twist of fate for the health of millions, the French government has decided to outlaw smoking in bars and cafes beginning January 2nd! (They are going to allow smokers to party and puff away on New Year's Eve, kind souls.) Next time I go I don't have to retreat early to the hotel due to smoke-induced Migraines. Sweet heaven!

No need to get into a whose-right-is-it-to-say-where-and-when-we-can-and-cannot-smoke debate here, folks. The fact of the matter is the issue has been decided and we will no longer smell like cigarette butts upon leaving French bars at 4 AM, nor will we have secondhand smoke hangovers the next morning. Freedom, sweet freedom. Ah, bon.

my friend is a superstar, or "Matt McConkey" is from "Waverly" (to help you googlers search better)

My dear friend Matt McConkey, whom I met when we were wee little freshmen at NYU, has been living in Los Angeles since 2001. He's one of those guys who's so amazingly hilarious and talented that I can't believe he's not been discovered by some sort of reputable talent scout yet. Who knows? Maybe he has and he's going to be on some fantastically successful HBO show come next fall.

For now, I will praise him for a couple different things.

1. A few years ago when I was living in Pittsburgh (Shadyside, to be exact), he landed a commercial. This was really exciting to me, but as I didn't have any TV service during the time the commercial was airing, my actually seeing the commercial proved to be impossible. Matty explained the thirty-second plot to me so that I could, in turn, explain it to my Pittsburgh relatives. That way they could call me in from the other room if I happened to be at their houses and I could catch him "live" on TV. While they never got the chance to call me in excitedly, they did get to see the commercial themselves--my cousin Margie's husband Larry tells me he saw the commercial many times, and even during really popular sporting events! Very exciting.

I'm proud to announce that I've finally come across the youtube.com link. (Thanks, Matt.)
Watch it. My friend's a star. Tee hee.




2. Matt and his friends also wrote a piece that recently premiered at L.A.'s Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. It was so popular that the folks at the venue asked them to come back again...and again...and again...and now again! Very well-respected and well-known guest stars are gracing the stage with their presence during the performances, lending their stories and voices to the troupe's said-to-be hilarious piece, which is called Worst Laid Plans. Janeane Garofalo and Mary Lynn Rajskub are going be in an upcoming performance, if I understand correctly. And Sarah Thyre, the coach from Strangers with Candy, will be performing on November 30th!!

I really, really want to go. But since I can't, you should, you L.A. folks. You hear me?!

4/16/07 - Ryan Seacrest & me, plus 49 other mundane things even I didn't want to know

April 16, 2007 - Monday

9:59 PM - Ryan Seacrest & me, plus 49 other mundane things even I didn't want to know Current mood: happy 1. Introduce yourself. Bonjour, tout le monde. Je m'appelle Super Jan!!! 2. It's Thursday at noon, where are you usually? Hanging out with a teensy baby. I have a regular babysitting gig and am usually with Adrian on Thursdays at noon. This coming Thursday I'll be ON THE WAY TO FLORIDA with Liz, though!!! 3. What kind of laundry detergent do you use? Purex!! 4. What brand of shampoo is in your shower right now? Garnier Fructis 5. Did you ever get into a bar and drink before you were 21? tee hee hee 6. What countries have you been to? Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Switzerland, England, Italy, Germany, and MORE TO COME!! 7. Do you watch MTV anymore? Nope. Have flipped to it once in a while during trips to my parents' house, but I can't even force myself to be interested for more than a couple seconds. Maybe I'm catching the wrong shows, but I doubt it. I think it's just all bad. 8. What do you think about Oprah? I think she's magically transformed by makeup and hair stylists. 9. What color are your bedsheets? Right now, my full-sized, extra long bed features off-white T-shirt sheets. 10. You need a new pair of jeans..what store do you go first? The Gap has been the only place of late that carries jeans that accurately fit these gams o' mine. 11. Did you ever watch The O.C.? I think I've seen snippets of 3 episodes in all. 12. What kind of car do you drive? A gold *FOR SALE* 1996 Nissan Maxima *THAT'S FOR SALE*!! (Inquire for details.) Ha. Soon I shall reclaim my car of yore, a 2003 Acura RSX descended straight from heaven. 13. Honestly, is that car insured? The phrasing of that question grosses me out, as it reminds me of an obnoxious girl I went to elementary school with. Yes, my current car is insured, and my future one will be, too. You get arrested instantaneously without insurance, fools. 14. Do you like sushi? Dear lord, yes. 15. Have you ever been to Tiffany & Co. or Saks 5th Ave? Both, my dearest ones. But I've not purchased even the minutest object from either place. 16. Did your parents spoil you growing up? Yes, most notably in the never-have-to-do-chores realm. 17. Do you like roller coasters? Yes, but in recent years they've made my head hurt more than they used to. This is tragic. I like the old-fashioned wooden ones, and Kennywood coasters can't be beat! 18. What magazine(s) do you buy regularly or subscribed to? I subscribe to Paste and love it. I have a mysterious free subscription to _Rolling Stone_ but never read it--just pass it off to Jim, especially when the covers are as enticing as they are this week (Rosario Dawson & Rose McGowan naked but for ammo covering their hoo-has). 19. Do you remember the WB show "Popular"? I sure do. I don't think I watched it, though. 20. When you go out do you prefer to go to a dance club or to a bar? A bar, by far. But I do like that Flicker Theatre and Dance Club. 21. What do you think about gay marriage? Legalize it. 22. Who do you think will be the next president? ? 23. Are you registered to vote? Of course. And I get teary-eyed almost every time I go despite my overwhelming lack of political-ness. 24. Do you own an iPod? Yes, ol' Baby Blue. (Thanks, Perry!) 25. Is your bathroom filled with beauty stuff? Not really. 26. What kind of cologne/perfume do you wear? Moonlight Path. Janet's signature scent, goin' strong since 2000. 27. Do you like Carrie Underwood? I'm not sure who that is. 28. Been to "The Vegas"? I've been to Las Vegas, it's true. Ole Hoecker lives there and gave me the tour of a lifetime over two years ago now. 29. How far away do you live from your parents? 8.5 hours away driving. Or a little less than three days if you want to count down the time 'til Liz & I see them next!!! 30. Are you happy with your job? With my multiple part time jobs? Why, yes! 31. What do you do there? Hang out with kids, read books, play outside, do ropes course activities, climb trees, edit papers, read some more, use the computer a lot, and confuse you by writing a brief job description of four distinct jobs in one sentence. 32. What did you get in the mail today? Today = Addieville check from Michael, a water bill, and KAT DODD'S WEDDING INVITATION! Yesterday = some prescription drugs (yessss), a grrreeeat package/letter from Sarah Beth, and a bill. 33. How do you like your steak cooked? Medium. And preferably in Buenos Aires. 34. What about Britney Spears? I don't have her cooked at all. 35. What do you usually order at Taco Bell? 3 soft tacos, meat & cheese only. But I think I go once every six months or so now. Once Nancy and I went and got the nastiest crispy mcsofttaconastiness treat special on earth. IT WAS SO GROSS. I think we may have vowed never to speak of it again. If that was the case, pretend you never read this. 36. Have you ever sat all the way through Gone With the Wind? Yes, in 8th grade we all watched it at Haynes Bridge. I've never read it, as Kimi has. ;) 37. Have you ever been to Mt. Rushmore? Nope. 38. Is it just me, or was The Marine(w/John Cena) a really horrible movie? Who made this up? 39. Are surveys like the cocaine of myspace? You're stretching here, buddy. 40. Where is your favorite place ? Anywhere underneath starry starry skies. That's just one option, but I don't want to list. I'm bored. 41. What is your favorite candle scent? Something very weak. Not flowery. That overpowering stuff drives a gal crazy. 42. Do you believe places can really be haunted? Not in a scary way. 44. Have you ever been to NYC or LA? I've spent years in NYC and a couple weeks' time in L.A. I prefer NYC but dig L.A. 45. How many states have you been to where all you saw was the airport? 0 46. Do you think 50 questions is enough? When the questions are in this vein, zero would have been enough. Why am I doing this? I am going to read my book in a minute. That's my reward. 47. Are you currently planning a trip? Yes. Two. Janny is thrilled. 48. Is Ryan Seacrest gay? THIS should answer your question: 49. Do you take anti-depressants? Sleeping pills? One of my daily Migraine meds fits the bill. You see, I take an anti-depressant that has one amazing side effect: sleepiness that will help me sleep through the night without waking up multiple times! This medication is a known drug therapy for us Migraine sufferers--did you know lots of anti-depressants are used to treat Migraines and not just depression? It's true. yip dee dooooo. 50. Have you ever googled your name and found out somebody famous or semi famous has your same name? There is some Scottish nurse with my name. Gross. I'm clearly the best. Currently reading : Paula By Isabel Allende Release date: By 24 April, 1996 5 Comments - 4 Kudos

	SUPER JAN!!	And I love you, boy who gets home from work at 4 AM and looks at my quiz answers before crawling into bed. Tee hee. I like your Damnit-influenced spelling of my name as well. Inventive, he is. Posted by SUPER JAN!! on April 17, 2007 - Tuesday at 9:36 AM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Hey Lindo look out ur Windo!!	These surveys are pretty random huh....but they are fun when im bored and both my babies are asleep!!!! ---Linda Posted by Hey Lindo look out ur Windo!! on April 17, 2007 - Tuesday at 6:02 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Barbara	I have to ask, regarding question #13, who is the girl you are referring to? Honestly, you can tell me. Thanks for a good read, m'dear! :-) Oh, and did I tell you that I went to the *same* HS as Seacrest. Yeah, and my husband was even friendly with him. But you, you've photographic proof of your connection. My, I'm jealous! Posted by Barbara on May 30, 2007 - Wednesday at 5:03 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

Casey Beth

You and your responses are hilarious and make sleeplessness bearable. Posted by Casey Beth on July 16, 2007 - Monday at 7:52 AM

4/13/07 - David Sedaris hearts MC Geddis in the house

April 13, 2007 - Friday

1:31 AM - David Sedaris hearts MC Geddis in the house Category: Writing and Poetry Tonight I went to see & hear David Sedaris in Greenville, SC. My Aunt Dorothy invited me to be her date since my dearest uncle could not attend. Boy oh boy! I love hanging out when my Uncle Mike's around, but I'm ever-so-pleased that he was out of town and had to miss the show, because I saw David Sedaris, I saw David Sedaris! (Can you hear my schoolyard taunting & jeering? Good. That's as it's meant to be.) My mother, Auntie Dot's eldest sister, recently discovered ol' Dave for herself and has no idea that I saw him tonight. Nor does she know that I got a copy of _Holidays on Ice_ signed for her. It was only as we walked away from Greenville's Peace Center that I looked down and saw what he had inscribed: Mary Carol, I'm so angry I missed you. -DS Ha. She'll love it. My aunt's inscription is lovely, too, but I'll let that be her little treasure. (Also, in case my Laura's reading this, I know Aunt Dorothy got a kick out of what David wrote to her and would rather pass the word herself than have me tell it first.) Currently reading : Holidays on Ice: Stories By David Sedaris Release date: By 01 November, 1998 2 Comments

	Laura	7hanks for not spilling the beans, baby Janet! Posted by Laura on April 13, 2007 - Friday at 2:12 AM [Remove] [Reply to this]

anna

I saw DS tooooooo. amazing! He read his stadium pal catheter essay :) Posted by anna on April 14, 2007 - Saturday at 3:22 AM

1/25/07 - lost my identity (again)

January 25, 2007 - Thursday

10:36 AM - lost my identity (again) I've lost my license many times (physically, that is--I've never had the cops revoke it). I broke it on my bony-ass butt (so to speak) while working at Toussaint L'Ouverture High School in Florida. I had it taken by wayward concert goers at the Tabernacle in Atlanta; it eased its way out of my pocket as I danced the night away in New York. A few Georgia licenses are around New York somewhere, and in 2001 one got into the hands of a friend's then-underage sister (who had it taken from her by a bouncer the very same night she procured it for her own use). For the last year and a half, I've been carrying a license with the wrong name on it: Janet Gaddis apparently lived in my house until last week or so, when Liz and I finally went to the DMV and I changed my name to the way it should be (after having signed affadavits in various government offices swearing that Janet Gaddis and Janet Geddis were actually the same human being). A week later the license was gone. Where? I know not for sure. An apartment floor? On the street? In a restaurant? Being carried by a young girl who now is suddenly, miraciously of age to party like a rock star? One may never know. I do know that I have to go back to the DMV and get yet another license. Two more comments on this issue. 1. The first is an excerpt of an email from my mother: "Good luck finding the new license. You might go down on record as the person who at a young age has lost and found and lost and replaced, etc., her driver's license more than anyone else in the U.S.!!!!!!!!!!! " 2. Now, a little-known fact: You CAN fly without a government-issued i.d. Just let 'em know you forgot yours and you have to go through that oh-so-secure extra screening (perfunctory bag check & pat down) and then can get right to the gate. So don't sweat it. Currently listening : Clap Your Hands Say Yeah By Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Release date: By 11 October, 2005 3 Comments

	Christa	I am just waiting for the day they don't let me vote because some fuckface in the secretary of state's office registered me as "christi". Posted by Christa on January 25, 2007 - Thursday at 1:59 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Jenn	haha, i have flown without valid ID as well. i am unfortunately very familiar with the pat down and bag check. on a different note, i need some advice. message or call me as soon as you receive this! xoxo Posted by Jenn on January 26, 2007 - Friday at 4:46 AM [Remove] [Reply to this]

amysalley

this one time i thought i had left my license with a boy i never wanted to see again and so i got a new one and then later i discovered that the old license had, in fact, merely dropped behind my dresser. so now i have two. apparently, that's illegal. you are not supposed to have too much identification. makes reality shift just a little bit. Posted by amysalley on February 8, 2007 - Thursday at 10:52 AM

9/21/06 - a response to Amy's chipper blog: how to tell you're NOT in the best mood

September 21, 2006 - Thursday

6:52 PM - a response to Amy's chipper blog: how to tell you're NOT in the best mood I shouldn't say I'm in a bad mood. I should say I'm "in a bad place," to use language that's been made somewhat dry and trite by the likes of Dr. Phil & Oprah. And the bad place is only in my head, and it's mainly just physical. And by that I mean: Ow. I can't think straight and my memory seems suddenly shot; and words are failing me left and right. It's really quite obnoxious. (Some of you may be breathing a sigh of relief.) So life is pretty good, it's just that I want it to pause for a bit so I can rest. But it keeps on going, dammit! 1. When your neighbor starts howling so that his dog will howl in unison. Usually, this is a charming trick performed by owner and dog, man and beast, that will make me laugh--granted, the process cannot last too long before it becomes stale. Today it began and immediately made me want to yell, "SHUT UP!" 2. Your BFF cousin Margie calls and you actually hit ignore. You've not talked to her in MONTHS! You have so much to say! Margie brightens your day and makes you smile and you love her and miss her and love her and miss her...and you are forced to hit "ignore incoming call" because you would just be no good on the phone right now. 3. Your boy-person calls from New York--from the NYU/Village neighborhood, in fact--and wants to know if you have any recommendations for a place for him to get a quick bite to eat, maybe one of your favorite places when you lived there. And you can't think of anywhere. You were there for four years of your life and ate hundreds of meals at restaurants on those very streets, and not one restaurant's name comes to mind. (Finally, Sammy's Noodle Shop occurs to you--whew. He hits up El Cantonero anyway, which is fine.) And as he passes the Strand, which you've told him about, he mentions it to you and you tear up with NYC homesickness. And when he asks if he can run in and buy you something you want, you instantly forget the name of every book you've ever wanted. (You probably wouldn't have asked for it anyway. But the memory's the issue here.) 4. You just spelled homesickness "homesickniss" and couldn't figure out what was wrong with it and got mad at the computer and not yourself for spelling it wrong. Time to try to fall asleep again. Let's hope the howling ritual has stopped for good. One hour until the night o' TV. Two hours 'til Grey's premiers!!! 3 Comments

		This Profile No Longer Exists [Remove]

	anna	I had a day like that on monday. I woke up at 7 am, sat straight up and said, "my car!" So I ran out front, and it wasn't there. -not stolen, although that happened to me too on the first week I moved to LA, but towed from the spot I am so cautious every freaking day for at least a year to move it from. I cursed and threw my keys around for a few minutes, then a loooong trip through rush hour with mike to an impound lot where I paid $177 to spring my baby. Then as I can feel the tears welling up and am physically shaking from anger, I see there is another ticket on my windshield for $65. Oh well, s'just money, right! Oh yeah, and the memory thing... I totally get that too. Hope you are feeling much better as soon as possible! Posted by anna on September 22, 2006 - Friday at 1:32 PM [Remove] [Reply to this]

Siobhan

Sweet baby! Don't put pressure on yourself to remember everything right this second while your head hurts. Rest assured in the fact that when your memory of all these places comes back to me, you can call me and rejoice in the fact that I will benefit! Doesn't that make you feel better? Plus, I can buy you books from Strand anytime you want. I know that's not as romantic as the guy friend doing it, but it's all I've got. Here's a wild idea: next time you're up here, we could buy them together!!!! Feel better, lovely. Posted by Siobhan on September 22, 2006 - Friday at 2:37 PM