Um... hi?

So I know I've completely neglected this blog. Here is a quick update:

I actually blog here now: http://lifeinmotion365.blogspot.com/
It's my Project 365. Please feel free to follow it too.

My graphic design business is open... again. I shut everything down, only to land a permanent client 3 months later. So - now I'm in the process of renewing/reopening everything. Hassle... :-/

I'm still dancing up a storm. Have two routines coming up for December showcase. And I'm learning to lead West Coast Swing. Scary!

Hubs and I are off to Orlando in a couple weeks. If you follow my Tweets, I'll be "tweeting" from over there as we take a "real" vacation. @starla4873

Yeah - that's about it.

Gaga'd Musings

Lady Gaga's music video for "Alejandro" premiered yesterday. I have to admit - I love her music, but haven't been able to fully submerge myself in all of her performances. Call me a bit conservative or whatever. There is just something in me that prohibits me from losing myself in the art. But - this isn't really about Gaga's entertainment and shock value.

I was actually looking for clarification on the video. It was epic. Dark. Mysterious. And featured Mark Kanemura front and center in a variety of places. (And Jeremy Hudson too.) But I had this picture in my head of what the song would entail visually. Ways to leave your Latin lover on the beaches of San Juan, maybe? Instead we get "Like a Prayer" meets turn of the century Moscow. Fine - but it left me really lost. Was there a story? Was the song supposed to not correlate with the video? So - it left me cold.

Browsing Yahoo this morning, I find this blogger's take. This helped greatly. Kind of like a cliff notes version to Gaga's mind. The most striking thing in the blog was a quote from Gaga. And this is probably the only reason why I posted this blog entry. (It wouldn't fit as a status update.)

"I struggle with my feelings about the Church in particular....in terms of religion, I'm very religious. I was raised Catholic. I believe in Jesus. I believe in God. I'm very spiritual. I pray very much. But at the same time, there is no one religion that doesn't hate or speak against or be prejudiced against another racial group or religious group, or sexual group. For that, I think religion is also bogus. So I suppose you could say I'm a quite religious woman that is very confused about religion. And I dream and envision a future where we have a more peaceful religion or a more peaceful world, a more peaceful state of mind for the younger generation. And that's what I dream for."

Being the quasi-Catholic that I am, this kind of hit home. And I'm happy that it came from her. I may not agree with her artistic choices all the time. But this idea makes me even more of a fan. Kudos to you, Gaga.

New Portfolio Photos

I finally broke out the SLR and took photos of my design work from the last 10 years. Some of my college work needs to be burned and buried, so I didn't take photos of that stuff. :) But I wanted a photo archive.

http://tiny.cc/studio144

Plus, I'm test running a new business name, possibly opening a shop on Etsy for special occasion invites. Studio 144 is a play on my last name. ;)

There are a few different vendors on Etsy that just have a digital store for clients to take high res. files to their printer of choice. So - hopefully I can dive into that market.

Now I need to see this musical...

I hate it when a song strikes a cord. Because then all I think about for the next week is how it relates to life. Sometimes I wonder if people take me seriously... or, if I'm just good for a laugh.

----------
Funny
Did you hear that
Funny
Yeah, the guy said honey
You're a funny girl
That's me I just keep them
In stitches dug out in half
And though I may be all wrong for the guy
I'm good for a laugh
I guess it's not funny
Live is far from sunny
When the love is over
And the jokes are you
A girl ought to have a sense of humor
That's one thing you really need for sure
When you're a funny girl
A fellow said a funny girl
Funny, how it ain't so funny
Funny girl...

99 Problems and This Post Isn't One of Them

Another chain blog post. Bold those that you have done. (Like I have.)

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity (time wise - yes.)
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightening storm (Gotta love Florida storms...)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (it didn't go well.)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables (well, I tried.)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept overnight on a train (Paris to Rome - never again... ugh)
21. Had a pillow fight (No - it was not with my sorority sisters!)
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (um... hasn't everyone?)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a [day] cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (Tried to learn French and Italian on my own...)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (not to the tip top, but we were pretty dang close)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain (I need to fix that...)
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class (does my self defense class count?)
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (Well, I've tried. I've either been too sick or too small or freshly tattooed...)
65. Gone sky diving (half credit - I went indoor sky diving.)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (unfortunately)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar (only in sushi form...)
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job (I was "laid off" but I seriously think they were just being nice.)
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book (I didn't write it - only laid out the type and designed it from cover to cover.)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Jen in 15 Minutes

I really need to update this more. It's a slow news day at the office, so here's a whirlwind summary of the life of Jen.

- M is almost done with chemo. Just 2 more weeks after today. Thank goodness. He's going kind of crazy sitting at home all day, and therefore, is driving me nuts.

- I burned out on dance. Taking a much needed break from dance so I don't turn it into a burden, rather than a fun activity. So, when I say that you won't really see me much at the studio anymore, I actually mean it this time. Amazing how your schedule opens up when you are home at night. I did LAUNDRY on a Thursday for the first time in a long time. Something less to interrupt my weekend.

- I'm still focused on Spring Show, so I haven't completely abandoned dancing. Hell, I paid enough my lessons to participate. Might as well follow through. Show is May 21, 22, and 23 if you are interested in attending. And for about 5 seconds, I can say that I'm taller than my instructor. (Only because I get lifted on his shoulders... but still.)

- At IGB, I'm going to be a vision in Coral. Or so I've been told.

- My house is a complete mess. Not full of clutter. Just full of DIRT. Dust, cat hair... whatever. It's yucky. I seriously want to hire a maid for a day and just have her scrub everything away.

- Disney World trip is 5 months away. Just made our meal reservations, luau reservations, and Not So Scary Party reservations. Whew! I could not believe that one of the restaurants we wanted was already booked up for dinners during our vacation. Seriously? I just want some of that Cheddar Cheese soup everyone raves about. Thank goodness there was lunch availability.

- I really need some new music at work. But I don't have a credit card currently to purchase new music! Argh! Seriously... who rips off a dance studio located in the back of an industrial park? Really???

- Paying off your credit cards can be so liberating. I need to do that again soon. Today sounds good.

- I'm really bored by this season's Dancing with the Stars. Glee isn't really hitting me like it did in the fall. Hopefully SYTYCD can revive my interests in television again. Hell, Mark is gonna be on my TV again. One could hope, right?

- I closed my design business. So, Minor Details is just a blog now. But really - I wasn't doing much with it anyway.

- I have the sudden urge to cook brunch for my closest friends one morning. Pile on the scones!

- I'm now a Smart Phone lemming. I love my Palm Pre.

- Is it bad that I'm going to Starbucks out of habit now, rather than actually needing coffee?

- I have this pile of books sitting near my bed that I'm considering re-starting and finishing for once.

- I'm struggling with realizing what is really good for me and what I just like to have. (Either out of convenience or sheer guilty pleasure.)

- I'm ready for change. I'm in a rut.

Easter Cooking

M and I are stuck here in Sacto because, frankly, a 2 hour drive back and forth to the Bay Area would probably knock M on his ass right now. Plus - we have sick family members. Not good for those who have no immune system.

So after doing absolutely nothing today, I decided to finally start making dinner. I opted to not plan for anything in case M couldn't eat our old stand-bys. But I was determined to make SOMETHING for dinner since I rarely do so. (I just don't cook.)

Sadly, since I didn't plan anything, I didn't really have a whole lot of ingredients to make anything fabulous. My attempts at re-making my Honey Nut Chicken Sticks were thwarted by the lack of Honey Nut Chex in our house. And this rainy weather doesn't exactly motivate me to want to run out to the store. (Especially since I really didn't plan to leave the house today anyway...)

Luckily, we had some left over Parmesan cheese and about a pound of chicken. Typically, when I make Chicken Parm, I use Mozzarella cheese. Which may sound strange, but it works somehow. It's probably one of M's favorite dishes. Since no Mozzarella was to be found, I decided to make legitimate Chicken Parm. It's currently in the oven now. And it seriously took, like, 10 minutes worth of prep work. I imagine if you were making 3 pounds of chicken, it'd take a little longer. But - for two of us... no need. Now we just have to wait until it's cooked. So far, it smells hella good.

I have some pasta and mashed potatoes sitting in the pantry. Along with some frozen veggies. I'm sure our Easter meal will be somewhat impressive.

Ingredients

• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1-1/4 cups crushed cornflakes or finely crushed rich round crackers (about 35) [I just used regular ol' bread crumbs.]
  
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 2-1/2 to 3 pounds meaty chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs, and drumsticks)

Directions

1. In a small bowl combine egg and milk. For coating, in a shallow dish combine crushed cornflakes, thyme, paprika, salt, pepper; stir in melted butter. Set aside. Skin chicken. Dip chicken pieces, 1 at a time, into egg mixture; coat with crumb mixture.

2. In a greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan, arrange chicken, bone side down, so the pieces aren't touching. Sprinkle chicken pieces with any remaining crumb mixture so they are generously coated.

3. Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree F oven for 45 to 55 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees F for breasts; 180 degrees F for thighs and drumsticks). Do not turn chicken pieces while baking. Makes 6 servings.

4. *Note: To make your own tenders, simply cut 1-1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast halves lengthwise into 1-inch strips.

5. Oven-Fried Parmesan Chicken: Prepare as above, except omit thyme and salt and reduce crushed cornflakes to 1/2 cup. For coating, combine cornflakes; 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese; 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed; the paprika; and pepper. Stir in melted butter. Continue as above.

Googling my name

Here is what Google thinks of my name based on the following scenarios:

1. Type in "[your name] needs" in the Google search:
a) Jen needs rates on 2 scenarios
b) Jen needs a human anatomy lesson
c) Jen needs a hero

2. Type in "[your name] is" in the Google search:
a) Jen is an exceptional person who is to be worshiped and adored at all times. [Um...]
b) An anonymous girl — let's call her "Jen" — is a junior in college ...
c) Jen is famous

3. Type in "[your name] likes to" in the Google search:
a) Jen likes to multitask during sex [Ummmmm...]
b) Jen likes to dance (although everyone else does NOT like to watch Jen dance) [Awwww... boo]
c) Jen likes to swing

4. Type in "[your name] wants" in the Google search:
a) Jen wants John to keep his mouth shut
b) Jen wants Brad back at Angie's cost?
c) Jen wants prenup
[Damnit Jennifer Aniston and your tabloid headlines...]

5. Type in "[your name] gets" in the Google search:
a) Jen gets fancy
b) Jen gets it done
c) Jen Gets Ready For Flight While Ben Takes Off on the School Run.

6. Type in "[your name] says" in the Google search:
a) Jen says: well wen sum1 told her dat i harm she found me in da house and told me to ... [OMG, WTF...]
b) Jen says What?
c) Jen says relax [don't do it, when you wanna come]

Food for Thought

I've been spending some more time back over at TheNest.com boards to pass time and see what some old friends were up to. I love having as much support as possible during this difficult time and sometimes the gals there just crack me up when I need it. (For those not following my tweets and whatnot, M was diagnosed with cancer late last month.)

So one of the members posted these gems that I thought were hysterical. I need more stuff like this to keep me going. Between this, and the antics of my dance instructors and friends, I think I'll continue to laugh even though I feel like everything is crashing down around me.

Happy Friday!

~Don't let yourself forget what it was like to be 16.

~Always imitate the behavior of the winners when you lose.

~Ever wonder why lemon juice is made with artificial flavor and dish-washing liquid is made with real lemons?

~Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.

~Better to get up late and be wide awake than to get up early and be asleep all day.

~There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast.

~Living on Earth may be expensive, but it includes an annual free trip around the sun.

~Movie-related foods, such as Milk Duds, popcorn, Junior Mints and red vines do not have additional calories because they are part of the entire entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel.

~Peanuts are one of the ingredients in dynamite.

~During their lifetime, the average American spends six months waiting at red lights.

~People like winter because they can stay indoors without feeling guilty.

~You know it's going to be a bad day when you turn on the morning news and they're showing emergency evacuation routes.

~Laws are like sausages. It's better not to see them being made.