Visited Cities 2008

Two Februarys ago, I picked up on a meme about cities visited in previous year. that I have no qualms about stealing lists from others' sites. I'm pretty certain I can add far more to this year's list, on account of my East Coast odyssey.

Here's a list of the cities I traveled to in 2008 (* indicates non-consecutive visits), in chronological order, to the best of my memory. This list does not include every city I traveled through on my two cross-country drives, just the bigger ones:

Long Beach, CA
San Geronimo, CA
Vieux-Fort, St. Lucia
Asbury Park, NJ
Lavallette, NJ
Lake Arrowhead, CA
Las Vegas, NV
Littlefield, AZ
Cedar City, UT
*Denver, CO
Columbia, MO
St. Louis, MO
Effingham, IL
Indianapolis, IN
Columbus, OH
Wheeling, WV
*Ephrata, PA (Lancaster County)
West Orange, NJ
New York, NY
Easton, CT
Philadelphia, PA
Baldwin, NY
Glen Cove, NY
Fire Island, NY
Brooklyn, NY
Beacon, NY
Arlington, VA
Charlottesville, VA
Barrie, ONT
Toronto, ONT
Montreal, QC
Newport, RI
Vancouver, BC
New Hope, PA
Cleveland, OH
Des Moines, IA
Lincoln, NE

Not too shabby. Let's just hope I get in some more time on foreign soil this year.

Blog Meme: Scattergories

Courtesy of Hannibal.

RULES: Use the first letter of YOUR NAME to answer each of the
following...they have to be real places, names, things...nothing made up!
Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same
first initial. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

- What is your first name? Jenna

- 4 letter word: jeer

- Vehicle: Jaguar

- TV Show: Jetsons

- City: Jakarta

- Boy Name: John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt (triple points!)

- Girl Name: Jenna Jameson (double points!)

- Alcoholic Drink: Jameson

- Occupation: Jockey

- Something you wear: Jumpsuit

- Celebrity: Joe Jackson (double score!)

- Food: jalapenos

- Something found in a bathroom: Jergen's lotion

- Reason for Being Late: Jailtime

- Cartoon Character: Jem (of Jem and the Holograms. Damn! There has to be a bazillion double-point names, none of which I can currently think of.)

- Something You Shout: Jeez Louise!

Because I'm Tired, That's Why

A week with the niblings. A few days in the Pacific Northwest. Time to reconsider my direction in life. That is the reason behind my silence the last few weeks. Now, as I prepare to write about the visitors and the visiting, I will entertain with a procrastinatory meme, courtesy of -- who else? -- Hannibal.

BLOG MEME: Q&A

I HATE: masses of people

I MISS: summers off.

I HEART: the open road.

I REGRET: more things that I haven't done than I have done.

I LIKE: catching up with friends.

I FEAR: zombies.

I DANCE: when only my cats are looking. And sometimes not even then.

I SING: when no one -- including myself -- can hear me.

I SHOULD: follow a new direction in life.

[IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, HAVE YOU...]

GOT HIGH? Only in terms of altitude.

DRUNK? Pleasantly buzzed, yes.

KISSED SOMEONE? Yes.

CRIED? Yes.

HELPED SOMEONE? Yes.

GOTTEN ILL? No.

GONE TO THE CINEMA? Just over a week ago, yes.

GONE OUT FOR DINNER? And some fine ones, too!

WRITTEN A REAL LETTER? Postcards count?

WRITTEN IN A JOURNAL? A bona fide paper one, too!

FOUGHT WITH YOUR PARENTS? No.

[WOULD YOU EVER...]

1. EAT AN INSECT? I accidentally did while kayaking this week.

2. BUNGEE JUMP? Not unless I could somehow make six figures off it.

3. HANG GLIDE? Yes, please!

4. KILL SOMEONE? Of course. Just not without cause.

5. WALK ON HOT COALS? I feel like I already have a thousand times over.

6. GO OUT TO EAT WITH A COMPLETE STRANGER? Again?

7. GO OUT WITH SOMEONE FOR THEIR REPUTATION? Only if they can explain this question.

8. BE A VEGETARIAN? Done!

10. RUN A RED LIGHT? I swear, officer, it was puce.

11. DYE YOUR HAIR BLUE? Egad, no.

12. MAKE SOMEONE CRY? Again?

13. STAY UP ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT? That's the only way to see the sun rise.

[THE LAST PERSON WHO...]

1. SAW YOU CRY? Can't even remember.

2. YOU SAW CRY? Don't want to embarrass anyone.

3. WENT TO THE CINEMA WITH? The niblings and Maliryn.

4. WENT TO DINNER/LUNCH WITH? Robin, the fab PR chick in the San Juans, and her step-son Sam

5. THAT CALLED YOU ON THE PHONE? Lena

6. THAT YOU CALLED ON THE PHONE? McKinley

7. TEXT YOU? Lena

8. MADE YOU LAUGH? McKinley (unwittingly)

[DO YOU PREFER]

1. FLOWERS OR CANDY? What's behind door #3?

2. GRAY OR BLACK? Black.

3. COLOR OR BLACK? Depends.

5. SUNRISE OR SUNSET? Sunset. Sunrise makes me sleepy.

6. STAYING UP LATE OR WAKING UP EARLY? Always staying up.

Meme: The Ex Files

I seem to get a lot of my memes from Hannibal. Don't know what that says, so why philosophize about it? In any case, some of his answers were so dead on that I left his words as is (see *).

JUVENILE INSTRUCTIONS: Let's see if you can get through it. If not, you're too scared about your past.

Bring it, beyotch.*

1. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?
Probably. If it were under the same circumstances.

2. How many girlfriends/ boyfriends have told you they loved you?
Two, if I recall correctly. One of them only said it when he was under the influence, but it seemed heartfelt all the same.

3. Have you ever thought that you were going to marry a person?
Yes. But we won't elaborate here.

4. Are you crushing on someone?
Not in the least.

5. Have you ever liked someone so much that it hurt?
Yup.*

6. Have you ever made a boyfriend or girlfriend mad?
Have I ever not?*

7. Are you happier single or in a relationship?
Depends on which relationship is being discussed.*

8. Have you ever told someone you loved them and didn't mean it?
No. And it's made for some uncomfortable moments.

9. Have you ever had your heart broken?
Yup.*

10. Have you ever broken someone's heart?
Broken? Maybe just slightly maimed.

11. Think any of your ex's feel the same?
The same as what?*

12. Do you believe that you are a good boyfriend or girlfriend?
I have my moments.

13. Have you dated people who were not good to you?
Hell, yes.

14. Have you been in an abusive relationship?
No overtly so, no.

15. Have you dated someone older than you?
Yes.

16. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?
No.

17. Do you believe in love at first sight?
I did at the moment. But the next day...

18. Do you want to get married?
That's up for negotiation.*

19. Does heart break really feel as bad as its said to be?
Imagine having somebody take one of those toy claws, except it excretes hydrochloric acid. Then imagine somebody shoving it up your butt until they clasped the hooks around your heart, and then dragged it out. Slowly. Then they grab a skillet and sautee your heart right in front of you, and serve it to Hitler. It's a little bit worse than that.*

20. Would you believe your ex if she/he said they love you?
My last actual ex? Yes. And that's why it's over.

21. Would you date your best male/female friend?
I take the fifth.

22. Have any of your ex's called you by a nickname after the break up?
Yes. And that was awkward, to say the least.

23. Do you regret any of your relationships?
Funny enough, not really. Hell, even the worst ones are fun to joke about now.

How Well Traveled Are You?

Dang, this is biased. But, like my compulsion to copyedit Chinese menus, I can't help myself when I see one of these quizzes. I just have to do it.

Here's what Blogthings has to say about how traveled I am:

Your Travel Profile:

You Are Extremely Well Traveled in the Northeastern United States (86%) You Are Very Well Traveled in Canada (80%) You Are Very Well Traveled in the Southern United States (69%) You Are Well Traveled in the Midwestern United States (50%) You Are Well Traveled in the Western United States (47%) You Are Well Traveled in Western Europe (43%) You Are Somewhat Well Traveled in Eastern Europe (40%) You Are Somewhat Well Traveled in Africa (25%) You Are Somewhat Well Traveled in the United Kingdom (25%) You Are Mostly Untraveled in Asia (17%) You Are Mostly Untraveled in Southern Europe (13%) You Are Mostly Untraveled in Latin America (7%) You Are Untraveled in Australia (0%) You Are Untraveled in New Zealand (0%) You Are Untraveled in Scandinavia (0%) You Are Untraveled in the Middle East (0%)

How Well Traveled Are You?

As soon as I have half a second to breathe, I'll write up my two latest trips, to Valley of Fire and Coachella.

Yet Another Travel Meme

Come up with more questions of your own, because these are rather lame.

Home Is: Los Angeles, CA (although I grew up on Long Island and lived throughout the Tri-State area before moving out West)

The One Place I Haven’t Been But Want to Visit Before I Die: Only one? If that's the case, then I'd have to say Australia. It's been my number-one destination since I did a report in sixth grade, yet somehow I've been to more than 20 other countries first. Go figure.

The Weirdest Place I’ve Been: Weird? Long Island ain't normal. Vegas is delightfully dysfunctional. But weird? Ohio is up there. I might have to vote for Reno, just because I've teased my friend Michelle about her hometown since the day I met her (and before I'd even been there). I was disappointed when I finally visited and there weren't midgets and clowns walking on the streets. I don't know how I got that impression, but I suppose I was disappointed at how un-weird Reno is. Still, it isn't normal.

How I Feel About Flying: Much better about it now. I've had several worse-than-bad flying experiences, including my first flight ever, where my brother had to land the plane. I no longer panic like I once did, but I still like picking up/dropping off people at airports better than going myself. Of course, if I knew how to fly, I'd probably feel even better about the whole experience.

My Last Road Trip: Drove up north in my new Prius to see my ol' pal Dimi, whose belly is now the size of a volleyball. Marin is so bucolic that my paltry 36 hours up there felt quite relaxing and longer than it was. On the way back down, I stopped in Santa Cruz to see Julie, my roommate from UCLA, who I hadn't seen in roughly 14 years. (Note to self: Must spend more time in Santa Cruz. Why have I not done that yet?) After that, I hit the Monterey Bay Aquarium, thus checking off one more item on my California to-do list. Another six hours down a pitch-black PCH and I was back home.

My Last Train or Boat Adventure: Well, since it's technically a ship, I can't count my Bahamas trip. So I guess I'd have to say my shark-diving excursion to Isla Guadalupe.

Best Music for a Road Trip: My self-made "Road-Trip" playlist on my iPod. One hundred fifty songs makes most any ride just fly by.

My Favorite Travel Item Is: iPod, baby. Unfortunately, mine is on its last legs. I shall mourn Dirk when he finally passes and blurts his last digital note.

I Think That I Am A _____ Sort of a Traveler: Laidback? Adventurous? Sarcastic? Person-who-thinks-this-question-sucks?

The Farthest I've Traveled: Circumnavigated the globe during Semester at Sea. Get me back on that ship, please.

Taken From: How to Spell Stoopit

Where I've Been: The World

Not too shabby a round-up, although I'd hoped to have lived abroad a bit more by this point. Anyone know how I can wrangle up a U.K. or New Zealand visa?



create your own visited country map
or write about it on the open travel guide

Where I've Been: Europe

Dang, I need to get my ass a little further east. I've meant to do so, every time I've visited Europe, but I never seem to get the time off needed to do a thorough trekking of the Old World. At least I've done a pretty decent job of covering the western region.

Here's my European coverage to date:


create your personalized map of europe
or write about it on the open travel guide

Where I've Been: Canada

Eh, not as exciting as the U.S. map, if only because I've visited so little and don't plan on visiting several provinces that are just too damn cold for human habitation. But I figured, heck, why not fill it out?



create your own personalized map of Canada
or write about it on the open travel guide

Where I've Been: The U.S.

World 66 certainly has created an addictive widget: an interactive map that allows you to plug in where you've been, creating a visual representation of your travels. It's kind of like the Internet version of putting pins in a map (which I have hanging on my wall), only a tad more addictive.

Check it out:


create your own personalized map of the USA
or write about it on the open travel guide

Travel Meme

I have no qualms about stealing lists from others' sites. That's what memes are all about, no?

To that end, I give you the most prolific travel meme I've come across: a list of the cities you've traveled to in 2006 (* indicates non-consecutive visits).

Without further ado, here's what I can remember (not in chronological order):

*New York
Easton, CT
*Ephrata, PA (Lancaster County)
Orlando, FL
Tahoe, NV
Isla Guadalupe, Mexico (no city on the island)
Rosarito, Mexico
Ensenada, Mexico
**San Diego
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Honolulu, Hawaii
Palm Springs, CA

Job Timeline (aka Talk About Your Writer's Block)

Because I don't have the energy to talk about my New Year's in Baja, I'll just steal a meme once again, this time from that vixen of the Northwest, Bitter Heather. (Props to you, dear.)

Places I've Worked
c. 1982 Sold flower seeds door to door -- West Hempstead, Long Island
c. 1985-86 Paper route (shared with neighbor)
1987-1988 Housekeeper for Dad's co-worker
1988-1989 J. Callaway's Christmas -- Roosevelt Field Mall, Long Island (store clerk)
1989-1992 Carl Wah Kitchen -- Long Island (Chinese takeout -- cashier and delivery)
1990 Camp Blue Bay -- East Hampton, Long Island (summer counselor)
1991 Ocean World Lines -- NYC (intern/CG animator)
1992-1994 Michigan Union -- Ann Arbor, MI (hostess/caterer/waitress)
1993 Fine Line Features -- NYC (intern)
1992 Peretti's Italian Kitchen -- NYC (waitress)
1994 MLB Media Lab, University of Michigan -- Ann Arbor (manager/bane of media students' existence)
1995 Semester at Sea -- international ship (work study admin to dean)
1995 The Swan Club -- LI (caterer -- three weeks)
1995 Tri-Starr -- Lancaster, PA (temp -- two weeks)
1995-96 64 Greenwich Ave -- Greenwich, CT (waitress)
1996 Blue Sky Studios -- Ossining/Harrison, NY (production assistant)
1997 Various productions -- LA (PA, production coordinator, peon, etc.)
1997 MGM Studios -- Santa Monica, CA (admin)
1997 Various productions -- LA (script reader)
1997-present (freelance editor)
1999-2000 PublicFigure.com/How-To.com -- Van Nuys, CA (managing editor)
2009-2001 Sapient Corp. -- LA (content manager)
2001-2006 [Web USA] CityGuide -- Santa Monica/Beverly Stupid Hills (senior editor)
2007 The Mouse House -- North Hollywood, CA (sr. producer)

I'm sure I'm missing a few, but that's the CV in a nutshell. Someone overseas, please hire me. Please.

Blog/Bulletin Meme: One Word

Swiped from Hannibal's blog.

You.
Can.
Only.
Type.
One.
Word.

Not as easy as you might think...

1. Where is your cell phone?
Counter

2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend?
Ha!

3. Your hair?
Red

4. Your mother?
Low-key

5. Your father?
Passed

6. Your favorite item?
Prius

7. Your dream last night?
Disturbing

8. Your favorite drink?
Cabernet

9. Your dream car?
Eartha

10. The room you are in?
Living

11.Your ex?
Apathetic

12. Your fear?
Zombies

13. What do you want to be in 10 years?
Abroad

14. Who did you hang out with last night?
Greg

15. What you're not?
Complacent

16. Muffin?
Banana

17: One of your wish list items?
Kitchen

18: Time?
Exponential

19. The last thing you did?
Drove

20. What are you wearing?
Skirt

22. Your favorite book?
Classic

23. The last thing you ate?
Quiche

24. Your life?
Transient

25. Your mood?
Chill

26. Your friends?
Loyal

27. You're thinking about?
Redecorating

28. Your car?
Environmental

29. What are you doing at the moment?
Procrastinating

30. Your summer?
Awesome

31. What is on your tv?
Nada

32. When is the last time you laughed?
Today

33. Last time you cried?
November

34. School?
Graduated

35. Plans for tomorrow?
Baja!