I Run!

I can't believe I'm doing it, but I'm running! My entire life I hated running. Well... I guess I didn't hate it as a kid. I remember from the age range of about 10-12 there was this kid on my block that was really fast and I was the only one that was able to catch him (sometimes), so I know I ran at SOME point. But those runs were just short bursts anyway.

But I remember in high school, before I started, I was trying to start my high school career out right and doing extracurriculars in the preceding summer. Not only was I taking Russian and Electronics classes AHEAD of time (yes, I took summer school to get AHEAD. I am a nerd.) — I went to a technical high school that taught us drafting and electronics and we had to learn Russian — but I also decided I would try joining the track team. I had absolutely NO sports skills whatsoever. My parents never forced me to play any sports like most of my friends and I thought that was awesome (now I wish they had), so I wasn't about to join a school team where I could show off my LACK of skill. So instead I thought, "well everyone can run." Or something equally dumb. I think I went to two meets. I remember stretching beforehand and I remember we had to run around the school's grounds. I was dead so quickly. I remember feeling like I was going to throw up.

But NOW! Now I'm doing it!! A couple of months ago my friend posted on facebook that he was doing the NY Giant Run of Champions 5K that ended on the field at Giants Stadium! You got to run into the endzone!! THIS I needed to do. At first I though, "Eh, I'll just jog/mostly walk it, just so I can get to the field." But my friend suggested I try one of the couch-to-5K programs that are so popular these days. So of course I looked for an "app for that" and I found the 5K Runner (which, by the way, I HIGHLY recommend). It starts you off really slowly and in a way that is doable, doing like 4 sets of running like a minute or two followed by a minute or two walk. Which is great because at first three minutes felt awful and impossible. But by the time I got to the Giants run, I was running like 10 minutes straight, followed by a 3 minute walk and then another 5 minutes (not exactly this I'm sure, it was a few months ago)! Here's my results from that:

NY Giants Run of Champions 5K

I did it in 38 minutes!! I still can't believe it. But the best part? I haven't stopped! I decided I was going to do this thing! I've signed up for a 5K every month since then (except July). This week alone I did TWO! Last Sunday I ran the Color Run — the happiest 5K on the planet! It was amazing, you get hit with coloured powder as you run and at the end there's basically a giant rave of people dancing and throwing MORE colour at each other!

Here's me hamming it up, mostly green.

It was a great time. Then last night I did a 4-mile NYRR Back to Football Run! It was a run in Central Park to celebrate the return of football season! It was great! And I'm proud to say I didn't really walk very much at all. We stopped a couple of times at the beginning but not very long at all and from about the start of mile 3 to the end of 4 I only stopped for a few seconds to drink water. My pace was slightly slower than the Giants 5K but I definitely felt better for this one:

NYRR Back to Football Run

I still haven't technically finished the 5K program. I struggled with the 25 minute run mark, but a week or two ago I ran those 25 minutes, then added 5 more! Very soon I should be able to run a 5K without stopping! I can't wait!

Next month I'm visiting a friend in New Hampshire and I'll be doing my second Warrior Dash! It's a 5K in the mud with obstacles! I did one a couple years ago and the obstacles were fun but the running was so horrible for me. This time it should be much better. Then I've got a 5K on the boardwalk at Coney Island to raise money to help walruses in October and the Race to the Finish 5K in November (runs part of the NY Marathon course... the END part). I think for December I'll do the Jingle Bell Jog. :) Signing up for races keeps me from slacking off in between. 

Yay for running!!

PS One other app that really helped me get this running thing going, that I would be remiss not to mention, is the Zombies Run app. This app is so cool and so entertaining, I really push anyone who wants to run or who already does to check it out. It's not cheap, but it's worth it! Happy running!

Frank

I just found out a friend of mine has passed. I don't know what happened. I can't claim that we were the best of friends as I haven't seen him in over two years, but I really liked him and I actually recently was thinking that I needed to reconnect with him. I am completely shocked and I can't really process this. He was such a sweet, funny guy. I missed him already and now I will miss him always. I'm just so glad I actually DID get to know him. Here's how we met:

I used to see Frank on the Staten Island train all the time. (There's one train, it goes down one side of the island and ends at the SI Ferry which is how most Staten Islanders get to their Manhattan jobs.) At first he just reminded me a lot of another friend of mine, which may be why I had this strange feeling that he was a comic book fan. I remember once at the ferry terminal I dropped a printout of a Marvel handbook I was editing and he was the one that picked it up for me and I remember wondering if he looked at it. I saw him a few times a month but never talked to him. I just remember feeling that we would be friends if we knew each other. I don't know why, I just knew it.

Then one day at the New York Comic Con (might've been the first one, I can't remember), I'm working the Marvel booth and I look over and see him talking to Brian Michael Bendis. Worlds colliding! I went over to Brian and said to him "I see this guy on my train all the time!" Frank looks at me and says "You're the comic book girl!! That's what I call you in my head!" Brian tells me Frank is a member of his message board, of which I also belong.

Later, I'm talking to Brian and he has this whole idea that there was going to be some romance here. I said he's crazy and just then Frank walks back over to the booth and says hello. "What are you doing here still?" "I work at Marvel." "Oh shit! I thought you just liked comics, I had no idea!" Then he mentions how he either just got from or was going to Jamaica with his fiancée. We talk a little more and he leaves and I turn to Brian and say "see??" (I later met his fiancée, she's a sweet, lovely woman who I imagine is a mess right now. I hope she gets through this ok.)

What followed after that were a series of train rides where we got to know each other. Talked about Bendis message board gossip, Staten Island gossip, his art, my job, our mutual friends, all the stuff you talk about with a new friend. I went to one of his art shows in Manhattan. I remember seeing him at a Halloween show on Staten Island. I was dressed as V (for Vendetta) and he was the first person to guess it was me. He had an art show on Staten Island, from which I bought one of his paintings (so glad I did that). I really liked being his friend.

Eventually he bought a house in a different part of Staten Island and I didn't see him on the train anymore. We communicated a little bit via various internet means. Then I moved to Queens and we were even further separated. It's one of those things where you always think there will be time to reconnect. There isn't. I am so crushed by this. The reality of "I will never see this person again" is just so... heartbreaking.

Everyone goes through their daily lives and sees the same people there every day, it's so rare you see someone and take note and just KNOW that you would be friends if you met. That we actually DID become friends is so amazing and I am so happy for that.

I will always miss him.

Frank drew this robot version of me.

I Decorates!

FINALLY. I said I was going to do this Thanksgiving weekend but I spent that weekend playing Zelda in my pajamas, so no. Finally got 'round to it this past weekend. Here are some pictures!

I used to always get a real tree in my old apartment, but that one was much bigger. So last year I bought my first fake tree! I figured, if I was gonna get one, I might as well make it easy on myself and get a pre-lit one. Oh man, SO nice. And I got this nice skinny pencil tree to fit right in this corner (where I keep a fan in summer months)!

Here's a little close up of one of my favourite ornaments! ;-)

He has a great responsibility to make my tree look good.

The tree-topper that has adorned my tree for the last 5 years or so! I don't even remember where I got him, but I'm guessing at some sample sale at work!

Hulk SMASH if you no give presents!

I decorate as much as possible, including lights in the bathroom, in my room, around the door outside and one the windows. I also decorate the banisters with red ribbon and THESE guys at the ends! :)

Here's my kitchen table thiset-up (it's one of those ones that like comes out of the wall).

Yes, that is a Chris Giarrusso Mini Marvels as Peanuts framed card!

I have these guys (their names are all Harry) above my doorway (they used to be in my bathroom in the old place) and I've been decorating them for Christmas every year (just below them are these little Sanrio stamps I just got of the characters with Santa hats on!)!

Don't mess with me or you'll end up like the Harrys.

And last but not least, my favourite decoration, I've had it since I was 10 or so!

Merry Christmas, dudes! Cowabunga!

So there you go. This smart-ass atheist still loves Christmas. It's not about Jesus for me (nor for a lot of people, REALLY) and never really has been. I just love the holiday cheer! I love the decorations, the parties, the music (YES, the music), the family time, sending out and getting cards (I MISS SNAIL MAIL) , giving/receiving gifts, just the general good feeling! (And really, you KNOW all this Christmas tree stuff, etc. has NOTHING to do with Jesus in the first place, right? ;-P)

So happy holidays everyone!!!!

<3, 

Jen!

The End.

I Gets Another Religious Blog Comment!

I haven't been keeping up with this. I know it, you know it, we ALL know it. I'm sorry! I know I don't have a TON of readers but it's pretty cool to have the amount that I do...or rather, DID. Unfortunately with the twitter and the tumblr, I just go straight there when I want to share something. This blog is definitely better for longer form posts and I have plenty of ideas for things I want to post, but... I just don't. (A big reason is that blogger is now blocked at my job so I can't post during lunch which I used to do.)

Anyway, I still get emails when I get a comment (which obviously isn't as often lately), and one of the posts I get a lot from is the "Kirk Cameron is an Idiot" post (one of my favourites)! And yesterday I got this comment that made me happy. haha Happy because I see comments like this on atheist blogs I read and it's just exciting to get one of my own. :) And it's not a cruel one, just a misguided one. So I thought I'd share it and my response. Let me know what you think!

 Anonymous said...

I feel so sorry for you Jennifer! You sound like a really lost soul! Apparently youve never lost someone that you love so much or believing in a God and a heaven that promises we will see our loved ones again wouldnt be so hard for you to accept! I will keep you in my prayers because not only is there a heaven, theres also a hell!

October 19, 2011 9:14 AM

 Jennifer Juniper said...

So let me get this straight. You feel bad for me because I HAVEN'T lost someone I really love? (Which is not true by the way.)

You seemed to be confused between WANTING there to be a god and an afterlife and whether or not there actually IS one. SURE it would be nice to know that when I die I will see the family & friends I've lost again, but that's just highly unlikely. Simply wanting it doesn't make it true.

Not only is there not a heaven, there's not a hell. Don't waste your time praying. Go out there and live the life you DO have to its fullest!

Memory Lane

I took a Google Maps trip down memory lane, "walking" around the neighborhood I lived in when I "studied" in London for three months back in 2001. I can't believe it was 10 years ago that I lived there! This is the building I lived in, my flat was on the top floor, which our landlord had had priced at $1 million pounds back then. 

The Landward! My flat # was 45!

Flat 45 was at the top floor!

Should'a spent more time here!

The Victory pub was directly across the street and I regret never really spending any time in there. I was near tears looking at this and I'm sure I WILL be in tears when I'm in London in September and walk around there as I do every time I go back to London. I went back to London every year for 5 consecutive years after my semester there, but I've not been able to afford it since 2006. I'm so happy to finally be able to go back to my second home. I would give so much relive that time again. It's definitely in the top 3 greatest experiences of my life. I still really wish I could live in London again. As long as I'm loving working at Marvel, though, I just can't do it. Maybe one day...

I also used Google maps to "walk past" my favourite street in London (at least of the ones I've seen). I used to pass this little street on the way to school and I just feel in love with how cool it looked. Funnily enough, only until I was there in 2005 with my friend did I ever actually walk down it. It just seemed so private, I felt like I shouldn't. This street is Montagu Mews West. "Mews" streets are super awesome, I wish I could live in one, but they must be super expensive. Man, why can't I just be rich and have everything I want!?!?


Well, at least I get to go back and visit soon! I really can't wait, I think about it every single day. Yay! (And also, I'm EXTRA excited to visit Berlin for the first time too and try out some of the German I've been studying!)


The End.

Oh the Rapture. LOLZ!

So yesterday came and went and nothing happened. SURPRISE! Not much to say, but I felt I had to post SOMEthing. Man, it's sad how gullible some people are. I mean, I KNOW I am at times, but THIS... THIS  is just insane. Anyway, here are a couple of my favourite post-Rapture related things I saw on facebook:

Why the Rapture didn't happen (posted by my friend Chris Giarrusso):

And this funny little video (posted by Truth-Saves.com):

So there you go. I'm sorry but I just don't feel bad laughing at these people. I do feel A LITTLE bad about those that spent their life savings trying to spread the word. Oh well. I HOPE they learned their lesson.


The End.

PS As an added bonus, my friend posted this little gem: The Onion strikes again! It's about some dumb people's reactions to an Onion article, b/c apparently they'd never heard of it. Come on, people! My PARENTS know what the Onion is!!! What's even more worrisome are these ideas about abortions... Condoms are silent abortions??!?!?!!? Yes. No wonder we have more people than can be fed in this world. Sigh.

Space Invader (FINALLY)

I've been wanting to post about this since July but I've been stupid and lazy, but a recent facebook post from a friend has spurred me into action.

OK, so I admit, before Exit Through the Gift Shop I knew nothing about Space Invader or any of the other awesome street artists out there (though I had passing knowledge of Banksy), but as I fell in love with Banksy I also fell in love with Space Invader. As I mentioned in my Exit blog, I know I used to see a Space Invader on a building along the West Side Highway. I would look for it every time I drove there and it made me happy every time but also very confused because I couldn't figure out why it was there. I thought it was maybe a sign from a store that had since closed. But now that I know it was put there by someone that just likes to put them there, it's even more awesome! Unfortunately, I haven't seen it since and I think it's been removed.

So, I've really wanted to find (& photograph) my own Space Invaders. I tried to figure out through his website where the ones in NYC are. I found one that was just by the Prince St. station but it too, was removed. I could still see the remnants (why anyone would feel the need to do this, is beyond me), so I decided to make it even more obvious and added a little note:

You can see there are still a couple of white tiles there and all the tile glue. Sigh. Like THIS is so much better to see than the space invader that was there.

Well! When I went to the San Diego Comic Con last year, a friend informed me of this awesome street art exhibit that was on display there at the time. So I made sure to go there (and the person behind the desk assumed I was a college student and let me go in for free! hehehehe). The exhibit was awesome but I couldn't take pictures. But I was told that Space Invader went around and put a bunch of his little guys in the neighborhood. I found a website that gave the locations of all of them so instead of spending time at the convention, I took a couple hours to walk around and find them, I think I got all but one that the website listed. Here they are!

That last one is awesome because the eyes are mirrors so they look different from different angles!

Then on the last day I was explaining these guys to some other Marvel peeps at dinner and on the way back to the Hyatt, someone says "Hey Jen, is that the things you were talking about?" And sure enough it was! And it wasn't listed on the site so I was EXTRA excited! And I wrote down where it was in case anyone else wanted to find it: It was at Island St. & Front St. right by or on The Children's Museum! And here's a picture:

I've since tried to find one that I saw on his site near Queens Plaza but I had no luck. If you know where it is tell me! There's another that I think is on Northern Boulevard or thereabouts that I still have to get my ass to. AND what my friend posted on facebook was another one he saw in Williamsburg so I will have to be making a trip out there soon.

I just absolutely love these things. It's such a cool thing to do to spruce up a neighborhood! haha I just wish people didn't take them down! I mean, I know part of their charm is that they are not permanent but I love them!!! Man, if I saw one near my house I would freak out. And I would walk by it every day just to make myself smile. 

So anyway Mr. Space Invader, if you see this, THANK YOU! :) And to everyone else, if you know where any of these are (particularly in NYC or even London since I'll be back there this fall), TELL ME!

The End.