Bye-bye, LA!

   I got hugs from Mom and Kelley, and a smile from Aaron, but Sean refused to come over and say good-bye to me. We were all in the driveway as I prepared to jump into Dave's car and head to the airport. It's just as well, if he had given me a hug or a "good-bye Aunt Jen" one of us probably would have ended up crying... And probably not the two-year-old one of us. Not sure when I'll see them all again, since I'll be in Portland with Kristin for Christmas, but I already can't wait till the next time. That kid is ridonkulously cute.

   I'm frankly amazed by my sister's strength in dealing with a challenging day-to-day situation, by seeing my mom perform as an incredible, caring grandma, and by little Aaron's evolution in just the 5 days I was there--not to mention the smart and funny things coming out of Sean's mouth. It made me very happy and proud of my family. Wish we could be together more often, but at least we can relish the moments we do have.

   Thank goodness for distractions like LA traffic, and stupid-long baggage check & security lines (nearly missed my flight). But more so for surprises like being greeted at the airport by... friends,  having my bags carried and a hot, homemade dinner waiting for me in the car, and a surprise movie: Almost Time. The movie, like the guys, was indescribably sweet... And it's funny how their actions tonight mirrored the moral of the film. (Even if while I was gone, not so much).

What a mostly-awesome few days.

   Also, my suitcase is purring. Must be glad to be home sweet home.

Travel Town

   It was SO FUN for Mom and I to experience Travel Town through the eyes of a two year old! Located in Griffith Park, it's a wonder for little train enthusiasts--and it's free. 

   We walked among the big trains, climbed aboard a few, and took a ride on the little replica train, twice around the track encircling the park. 

   Two would for comfortably in the seat, with a kid on a lap. Our kid insisted on sitting between us, and took great delight in waving his arms, thrashing his head side to side (into my boob. Umm... Ouch) and giggling. 

   These photos are the best present any Auntie could ask for.

No place like Gnome

   SO delighted the Halloween costumes were still hanging about... But good luck getting a two year old to wear a hat & beard.

Aaron was a much more into it...

Spoilage

   The tiny bag contains everything I need for the next 5 days in LA. The ginormo bag is FULL of presents. Two spoiled-rotten nephews, coming right up!!!

Nephews

Looks like Kristin is enjoying messing with my nephew Sean on her way through LA...

She said, "don't ask him to smile while he's eating." LOL

Lil Aaron (getting some help from a feeding tube) somehow manages to get even cuter by the day. As their proud auntie, I may be slightly biased, but they are the two most beautiful boys in the whole world! Jealous that Kristin is there now & I'm not! :)

Runraiser: 55 on 55

   Pam, my dental hygienist of nearly 15 years, is running 55k on her 55th birthday to raise money to help her brother, who has recurrent cancer. So I'm sharing the link in case anyone can help out. Here is the story in her words:
   On May 25th I plan on running 55K, (34.1 miles), to raise funds to help defray medical costs for my brother. In January 2011, shortly after his 55th birthday, Willy was diagnosed with Stage III Renal Cell Carcinoma, (kidney cancer). His right kidney along with the tumor, (the size of a Nerf football), had to be removed. In October of 2011, an MRI revealed the cancer had metastasized to his brain. At that time he underwent three weeks of full brain radiation, and had one stereo-tactic radio surgery treatment. At that time he also began an oral chemotherapy regiment. He is now on disability and receives enough to cover his basic expenses, but his private insurance has a $10,000 deductible and no prescription drug coverage.
   You, or someone you know, may have been diagnosed with cancer. So you may already understand the fear and uncertainty that comes with that diagnosis. I can't do anything about his cancer, but maybe, (with your help), I can relieve some of his financial fear and uncertainty. Would you please help? Thank you!  — Pam Barnes

Super Foods

   さいきょみそ black cod (sablefish) with caramelized balsamic portobello kale. I have to thank my Aunt Marty as well as my Alaskan friends Greg & Peggy for this feast. Greg shipped a huge box of the fish to Marty for Christmas, and she passed half of it on to me. Most black cod goes straight to Japan, as it is too pricey and not as valued by Americans. It swims deep and is harder to catch. It is truly the best cooked fish I've ever had (usually, I vastly prefer my fish raw). The flavor super-rich and buttery, yet mild, perfectly accented by the miso/mirin marinade.
   I am trying to foster a love for kale, as it is supposedly very healthy—a "superfood". I love that it keeps seemingly forever in the fridge—I've at times kept it for more than a week and it was still perfectly crisp and bright. Kelley got me into it when I visited her in LA for Sean's birthday back in October. She throws a handful of kale into smoothies. I've grown to like the flavor, though it does turn smoothies a medium concrete-gray which is a little strange. I've found that it's truly delicious with frozen peaches, blueberries and banana and a splash of milk. 
   I needed a big, healthy dinner tonight, after spending a total of 3.5 hours shoveling 12+" of very heavy snow today. That brings me to 6 hours of shoveling in as many days. And although I LOVE the snow, my lower back is ready for a little break. But I'm very thankful that I am healthy enough and strong enough to do the work—it is fantastic exercise. And the neighborhood looks beautiful enveloped in a heavy blanket of snow.

Gum from 1986, anyone?

   As old as Top Gun, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Pretty in Pink. That is some seriously old gum!  I was twelve years old when these cards were produced—the optimum age to enjoy the Nintendo Entertainment System (Super Mario Bros. and Bubble Bobble are still two of the best games of all time!), and Garbage Pail Kids. In fact, I still have a binder full of all the cards I collected back in the day.

   And then, out of the blue, my aunt Marty sent me FOUR unopened packs of cards—what a treat! Can't wait to see if I get any that I was missing from my collection. And if not—anyone wanna trade???

note to self: don't ever become a Jiggly Jennifer!

Random Hallmark Moments: the big 15!

   To celebrate my 15th anniversary working for Hallmark, which was on 6/11, my awesome, awesome team surprised me with all of my favorite things: Japanese culture, stars of rap music, and salt & vinegar potato chips. (Do they KNOW me, or what?!)

The lineup: Angie, Anne, Carrie, Stephen, Amy, Wendy, Alison, Bess & Dawn
(not pictured: Olivia, who was too busy sneaking around the office with a bonsai tree)

Dan & Lora ordered special no-cinnamon/no-vanilla cupcakes for me. Officially THE BEST cupcake I have ever eaten. (And I've eaten 3 so far, so I should know.)

Not to be outdone, Bess made homemade sushi dessert rolls.
All I can say is 「すごい！！！」

Colleen & Angela gave me a card by my good friend (& incredible artist), Kelly

Lined up from shortest to tallest. Note to self: hire someone shorter than self.

LOOK AT ALL THIS AWESOME STUFF!!! Cards, art, snacks and a bonsai tree!!!

Everybody on my team drew their self-portrait on canvas. "The Rarey Bunch". LOL!

And on the back? Flo Rida... and my boss!

And what would a party be without photos of me...
with my friends Beyonce, Jay-z, and Kanye?

   I was seriously blown away by everything they had planned and am so lucky to be working with such a talented, fun, and thoughtful team. As I've always said, Hallmark is an amazing company, but the reason you stay is for the people. And when you get to work with people you actually love hanging out with, you can hardly call it work.
   In keeping with the Japanese angle, I sent my thanks in a cartoon:

For those of you who may be rusty on your Japanese, here's the translation: 

Jen: I LOVE all the wonderful gifts—thank you SO much! My team is the world's best. THANK YOU. 

Aki & Taylor: Yes, we say thank you, too. 

Kismet: And I will love to eat the little tree.   (Just kidding on that, btw)

Good Ol' Wally

   On my drive home, I glanced to the next lane while stopped at a red light, to see this cute, giggling little curly-haired boy and his ginormous Great Dane, Wally, whose head was hanging out the window. They proceeded to tell me all about Wally, who liked what he heard, 'cause his tail wagged so hard the whole car moved. The kid was SO delighted. Wish the light hadn't turned green. They made my day!
   It was clear that this lil' boy & his big, funny dog were best friends... Every kid deserves a Wally, & every pet deserves a family who cherishes them.

Happy Valentine's Day, Indeed!

   What more can you ask for, for Valentine's Day than a safe flight home from an awesome vacation, with perfect weather & good family & friend time, punctuated by baby kisses and copious amounts of sushi? How about:
   • Being invasively felt up in public and also x-rayed by the TSA screeners at LAX (thanks to this cumbersome orthopedic boot!)—and cracking them up by making comments like, "I knew you couldn't resist getting a better look at my sexy boot leg!"?
   • The super-nice and hilarious flight attendant on Southwest who presented me with a free gin and tonic—and a Valentine's Day card?
   • An airport pickup by best friend Joni, with Wager, Kip and Asher in tow? Talking and laughing all the way home?
   • A chorus of shrieks, howls, and purrs in celebration of my return? A friendly fight to decide who monopolizes my lap first?
   • A steady stream of texts from friends welcoming me back?
   • And a surprise piece of homemade turtle cheesecake in the fridge from my friend, petsitter, and angel Mary Ann?
   Not a bad haul for the holiday!

Milk, Necromance + Pizza

(This post isn't going to be nearly as weird as the title implies.)

   After breakfast, Kelley took me to see the Handmade Galleries store in Sherman Oaks. It was set up kind of like an antique mall, with individual booths and cases rented by different artists and craftsman, selling everything from toys to clothes, jewelry to framed art. I found a fabric art character book that I LOVE, as well as a mounted and preserved exotic butterfly.

Next door was a Three Dog Bakery... temporarily closed! (Sorry, Nelly!)

Sean had a little snack...

Magnolia blooms abounded

gorgeous neighborhood: Sherman Oaks

We stopped at Sweet Butter Kitchen/Cafe/Market for some refreshments:

   Sean had some milk, and we had a banana dulce de leche almond ice cream bar made by Milk (yeah, WOW!) If you had any doubt that it was delicious, it didn't last long enough to start melting:

And in case you have any doubt that

Sean was hungry, get a load of this:

   After we were temporarily satiated, we headed home, and Dave came over to pick me up for Round Two of fun. When he saw the butterfly I had purchased, he asked if I had ever been to Necromance on Melrose, the exquisite store for dead things. I hadn't, so we were off!

I spotted this sign on Melrose, and Dave graciously stood in the busy street to
snap this photo of me and my ridiculous boot. The humor was worth the risk, no?

   Turns out that a visit to this store is like a visit to a natural history museum... except that these artifacts were for sale! I walked away with another box of butterflies, and a piece of fan coral and large white starfish for Kelley & Eric. The owner (?), Nancy, was friendly and happy to share her wealth of information about the deceased creatures in the store. It was all very fascinating (if a little sad, because I will always prefer live animals over dead ones!)

They look very lifelike... but they're not.  :(

   Then Dave took us on a drive up Mulholland Drive, to see the spectacular, sprawling city view from the hills. Unfortunately, we didn't enjoy it for long, as the park had closed for the night—unbeknownst to us—and the park rangers watching on camera took our photos and warned us to leave immediately. Oops. At least we weren't arrested... yet.

    A quick stop at Pitfire yielded a pile of perfect pizza pies, so we went home to share, and feasted!