Facebook Friends: Jen - Jennifer

Jen Faut
Jen Faut is unarguably awesome. She's the kind of girl that chucks it all and moves to Florida by herself to go to special effects makeup school. Just like me!!!! She was definitely the coolest girl in class. Beautiful, smart, funny and didn't take crap from nobody! 'Cause she's from New York. She could beat you up with her accent. She also taught me how to properly pop a zit without wrecking your skin; but it's too hard, so I still just do it the wrong way. Some times when I'm mashing away in the mirror I can hear her voice telling me to stop it cause I'm going to ruin my face. Sigh.

Jen Frieswick
I admired Jen from afar well before I knew her. We went to the same church and I would see her every sunday in the seats to my left and always thought she looked so kind and sophisticated and graceful and lithe. Once I got to know her, I learned that she was also sincere and deeply compassionate. She's the one who introduced me to my love of hospice. There are people who make in their job to send people off with love and comfort, and Jen is one of them.

Jen Manning
Jen does 48 hours in 24. Both her and her brain are constantly going. Thinking, creating, analyzing, pondering, wondering, loving, care-taking, dreaming, worryin', praying, fixing, making, cooking, organizing, reading, studying, learning and battling. She's got big dreams, big drive, and a huge heart that would take in every stray child and cat on the planet if she could.

Jenn Kay
I haven't seen Jen since college, and the image I have is of her as a zombie madonna in a cowboy shirt, which was her costume at the greatest halloween party of all time. I believe she now works as a graphic designer at a bank and I like to picture her there in that very same outfit; which leads me to wondering if zombies were real and had to get jobs, would living-death be considered a pre-existing condition? Which then of course leads to imagining a bank being run entirely by zombies, which leads to "That would be an awesome tv show!" You know, the office, for ZOMBIES!!! Hilarious. Does me writing it here count as a copyright? Don't steal my idea anyone! I'm going to be a millionaire! THANKS, JENN!!

Jennifer Anslem
Okay, Jen. See..this is what happens when you have nothing but pictures of your kids on Facebook save one. You get a crappy drawing. This was made a year ago, so maybe you've actually got some up now, if so, I'll certainly think about maybe one day rectifying the situation. REC-TI-FY.

Anywho. Jen is pretty dang terrific and I like her very very much. She is one of my best friend's favorite people. You know, one of those friends of a friend that you take an instant liking to and know you'd be really close to if she didn't live in the burbs and then she just up and moves to tornado alley so there's REALLY no chance. That's her. Jen has a highly developed sense of humor, which is a non-negotiable to be one of my favorite's favorites. By all accounts she is a great, caring, good-listening friend and I'm glad that my Katie has her.

Facebook Friends: Jeffs

You know saying a word over and over again can make it sound completely made-up and nonsensical? That's how I'm feeling about the word Jeff right now.


Jeff Bertel
I suppose I have Jeff to thank for Amy's protective older-brothering of me, and bruise pushing, and witty putdowns that are so clever you can't be mad at. He's the kind of guy that poops in the woods for fun. He also has a massive collection of fake ducks.


Jeff Cotter
My weird, wonderful, world traveling' friend.

Central Missouri State. Freshmen year. Design I. Jeff Cotter. Thank God.

My memory may be all lies, but I'm pretty sure that Jeff Cotter was my very first "art friend". Ever. Not to say I didn't have friends who were good at art in high school, but this was different. When I met Jeff, I knew I had come to the right place and that side of me that always felt different than everyone else found a kindred spirit. Both searchers, both creative, both talented, but not really sure what to do with it.

Jeff somehow knew everyone at the art center and as he introduced me around or as I name dropped him in a group of strangers, I made friends and my inner unusual blossomed.

Jeff is also the only person I know capable of the double-jointed jumprope.



Jeff Freeman

Freedog. Many of my favorite high school nights were spent hanging out at the liquor store Jeff (managed?). No, not drinking (really!), but bogarting teriyaki beef jerky in the store room with my most creative high school pals and talking with great authority about things we really didn't know anything about.


Jeff Scherr
My beloved Jong E Fong Fong. Tall, hairy, and if I were to assign senior superlatives to my friends list, this open book would most certainly get my vote for best personality. If I had to be a conjoined twin with someone, it'd be this guy, and we'd sit around watching Ren & Stimpy all day. We're not technically related, but we do share a birthday which has always given us a brother/sister bond of sorts. Maybe that's what gives us the ability to relate to each other so naturally. Great laughs and great heart to hearts.


Jeff Terbrock
Turbo is awesome, nice and funny, but no longer on Facebook. What gives?

Sowwy!!!

I'd like to take this post to apologize for my lapse in posting. I realize it's almost been a year. Normally I'd just say that I don't have a good excuse and chalk it up to my ill-formed attention-span gland and wicked case of Lazyitis, BUT NOT THIS TIME!!! This time I have a real solid excuse. Ready for it?

It has been an awful horrible craptastic shitstorm of a year and I just didn't have it in me.

Yeah. That's it. Boo Hoo.

It's been the hardest year of my life and the hardest year for most of my family and a few close friends. A whole lot of stuff happened. One after the other. I crawled into a hole and set up camp. Keeping up the blog would have probably helped to keep me out of the hole. I love doing it. It makes me happy. But, I didn't really want to be happy, I wanted to be sad. So that's what I did. But, I'm done being sad now, though, I'm still not quite myself, so forgive me if it takes a minute to get back in the groove.

What follows may be way too personal to be putting out there for all, but sad songs are playing on the iPod and I'm full of caffeine.

Apology time!
To those of my friends who I have felt ignored or shut out by me, I'm really sorry, and I'm working on it. For those who have been waiting for an email or phone call from me, I am also sorry, and you may have to wait a little longer. I have been an awful and nonexistent friend. I'll do my best to make up for it.

To my family - I'm sorry for not being there when I should, I'm sorry I checked out and shut down. I'm sorry that in my attempts to make peace I make a bigger mess.

To my jerk cat - I'm sorry for leaving you alone a lot and not cleaning your litter box enough. I'm sorry I have made you fat and sloven and don't let you go outside because you're a hassle to chase down. None of that is going to change, but I just wanted you to know I care.

Thank You Time!!!
To the loves of my life, Katie Ragsdale & Amy Bertel - too much to say. I'd be lost without you. You know, I don't have to tell you. Jessica Purdy, that goes for you too, even though we only email.

Katie O'Malley & Sarah Mason - I love you both and you always remind me that no matter how deep it gets buried, the real me is whimsical, colorful, creative and totally ridiculous.

Blaze Pearson, thank you for giving me what you could, for loving me as deeply as you have, for letting me be a part of your life and the lives of your children. Thank you for teaching me all that you have about commitment, fighting for what you want, confidence and metal. Thank you for holding up this bag of sad clown bones Weekend-at-Bernie's-style, and hanging on as long as you did. I love you like no other, and even though our road of romance has come to an end, you'll always be #3 to me.

To my family - thanks for always being able to make me laugh. At least that hasn't changed!! Thank you for trying to be there for me, even though I wouldn't let you.

TGIT girls - I love you. I'm reading the emails even if I'm not responding. Thank you to everyone who has given me prayers and support. Dee, Michelle, and Aimee, you're always on the journey with me and always there to let me let my ugly hang out. I miss you.

To everyone else that I have befriended here in Atlanta, you were the happy part. I hate that meeting you is included in the worst year of my life, but thank God for sending you in when He did.

There are several other friends who have provided support and prayers and love and I am deeply grateful. So thank you from the heart of my bottom. I'm sorry I didn't stay connected and didn't offer anything back.

Alright....that's it. Sad time is over. Happy time is a comin'!