Boo.

I really miss my friends.


love,
*jenna*

Destination: Tourism!

My dad and stepmom, Dana, came into town last weekend to experience the glorious sights, sounds and smells of my fair city. They stayed at a small but swanky hotel on the UWS, with a nice view from the shared balcony, too:


They arrived on Wednesday, but each night that we got together during the week I forgot to take pictures, so I'll start with the weekend. Saturday we met up in Times Square because they, after having already gone to the Natural History Museum, the Met and the WTC Site, wanted to see something wacky. Thus, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.



I had secretly been wanting to go for awhile now, so I was up for it. It was weird to see people standing right next to "celebrities."


Everything was meant to be as realistic (and life-size) as possible. So this was pretty cool - The Hulk.


One of the first rooms you walk into is supposed to be like a Hollywood party, so you just see all these figures everywhere and you don't know which is wax and which is tourist.


OMG, Brangelina!!


It was so freaky!


Dad hung out with John Travolta and the uncannily realistic Morgan Freeman.


... while Dana had a convo with Robin Williams.


I think Dad really liked the Salma Hayek sculpture, although we all agreed her boobs should have been bigger.


The whole party was overseen by RuPaul, hovering above the crowd like a tranny angel.




Next was the Presidential room...


... where Dana gave George Bush a piece of her mind and $5 to go get a clue.



Hey! It's Tom in 20 years!


This guy with the video camera did the most amazing impression of Satchmo.


Later, in the disco room, a tourist was getting very friendly with Beyoncè.



Having this picture taken with Marilyn made me feel the least feminine I've ever felt.


Check out Mick Jagger's lips!


And at the end of it all was Britney Spears, which was disgusting.


That night we met up with Dustin for sushi.



GREAT snooch.


The next day we went to Ellis Island, by way of long lines and ferries.


.... oh, and one charicature drawing of me and Dustin that Dana insisted we get (very inaccurate on Dustin's teeth).


We saw the Statue Of Liberty, which I hadn't seen since I was 8 years old and too afraid to go to the top. Back then, my dad forsook the opportunity to go up so he could stay back with me. I figured I owed him one trip to the top. Unfortunately, since 9/11, no one can go up now. It was still beautiful though - sort of thrilling to imagine the way millions of immigrants felt as they saw Liberty and the NY skyline beyond it, after weeks on a crowded boat.


Inside the museum was many charts and graphs pertaining to the statistical information of who, when and from where everyone came.


On display were many relics of old journeys from lands far and farther.



Then there was the big room that everyone had to come through when they registered.



It was cool.... but a little disappointing, as I always thought Ellis Island was a place you could come to to look through old registries that your ancestors signed when they came to America. It wasn't like that at all. The closest thing they have to that is the giant silver wall outside where you can have your relative's name engraved... if you make a donation. I think I found the Patrick Stapleton I was looking for: my great great great grandfather.


I didn't see Katie Skehan or any Selittis, in case you are related to me and were wondering.


Back to the ferry we go!


And back to America!


That night we got to do another cool thing we had been wanting to cross off our NYC list: see a Broadway show. I never thought I would accomplish this, because I don't like the theatre (oddly enough for a former theatre major) and I hate musicals, but we got tickets to the one show I wanted to see: Monty Python's "Spamalot."


It was hilarious! I actually really enjoyed it.

Apropos of nothing, one night while I was sitting in the hotel lobby, I picked up a magazine ("Blackbook") and the very first page I turned to made me flabbergasted and forced me to rub my eyes like cartoon characters do when they can't believe what they're seeing.


Do you see it? Click on the picture to enlarge if you have to. Or, just scroll down.






I would recognize that mustache anywhere. Apparently Dustin has a friend from college who works for Blackbook, and she asked him months ago to use his image to illustrate the upcoming World Beard & Mustace Competition (unsurprisingly). However, I never heard about it and was blown away to see him in a magazine so randomly! Ha ha.... ha. Crazy.

love,
*jenna*

Tennis, Etc.

Last Saturday Dustin and I both rode the 7 train for the first time ever, deep into Queens for the U.S. Open Semifinals. Dustin, an avid tennis fan, had been looking forward to this event since he purchased tickets for it three months ago, and I, having just learned the rules of tennis and the rivalry lore about Nadal vs. Federer, was pretty excited too. Unfortunately, Nadal didn't make it into the Semis, but we did get to see Federer.

It was a pretty long boardwalk from the subway to the court.


Yay America!


Apparently this is where they stash all the trains.


"We're here!"



Ashe Stadium is quite elegant, the opposite of a baseball stadium I guess you could say. There were some nice cafès and restaurants plus a beautiful courtyard and garden, and I have to say, everyone working there was genuinely warm and welcoming.


We travelled up, up, and away to our Row W seats.


It was warm that day, my friends. Even for an Arizonan, 90 degrees and humid, in the sun for 7 hours, is no joke. I'm telling you, my nailpolish melted to the consistency of asphalt on a July Arizona day. I'm not gonna lie - after my Chichen Itza experience, I was worried that I would be miserable in the heat all day. But I came well-prepared, with lots of sunblock, water, and of course my Gigantic Hat.


Dustin had to use it a little too.


While we were waiting for the first match to start, we hung out in the shade near the overpriced water and sandwiches, and who did we happen to see but Dustin's friends from high school and current ping-pong nemeses, Chris and Rodrigo.


They were in the same section but a little bit closer. The match started and it was so cool! Like a baseball game, but classier. They still played pop music between games, but every time something good happened everyone applauded politely and gasped genteelly at crucial moments. And they sold champagne alongside the beer.


This was what our view was really like. I guess we were pretty high up, but it still felt intimate, you could see everything that happened, and there was a nice breeze up there.


Breezes aside, we still needed some good Italian Ice.


Djokovic won the first match, easy as pie, it seemed.


After a delicious lunch of Carnegie Deli sandwiches and chicken fingers, we came back to our spot and I reapplied my SPF faithfully.


Then it was onto the match we had all been waiting for: Federer vs. Davydenko.


The place was a little more crowded for that one.



However, we got a call from Rodrigo, who had moved down to the loge level, since not all of the seats were filled - and he had two seats open next to him. So we upgraded as well.


The court seemed so much smaller then!




In other news tonight, I took a shining to the 'do my hairstylist gave me while cutting my hair last night.


I think I could rock it. Also, check out this photo that my mom sent me, of Halloween '92:


Once a mermaid, always a mermaid. Ah, how things have changed... and yet, not changed at all.

Have a happy week everyone!


love,
*jenna*

Peanut Butter and Jelly?

Oh New York. God love ya.


In other news, Dustin and I found ourselves double-booked last night, with talk by Larry David at the 92nd St. Y and also a Peter, Bjorn and John concert last night. As you can tell, once the show started we weren't able to take photos. But it was pretty cool to hear him (he was absolutely hilarious) and we even were treated to the first-ever screening of Sunday's season premiere of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Watch it. It's fantastic.


Unfortunately, we had to leave early to catch the P, B and J concert, and on our way out Dustin snapped this photo of Larry and the discussion "mediator," Susie Essman, who is his costar on "Curb." By the way, tilt up, Camera Two. Sheesh.


With the partial cab strike going on, we paid a pretty penny to rush down to Midtown and the Roseland Ballroom, where the band was playing. We walked in during the first song, "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off" (not the song you're thinking of). An ironic choice for first song.


I love the red lighting in this place.


We rocked out with our tongues out.


The band, being from Sweden and all, spoke in sweetly broken English.




The place was packed, mostly with people who only wanted to hear one particular song. So, until that time, most people just stood around gabbing.





And that song was "Young Folks," used in rough cuts for commercials and rips all the time, plus one really stupid music video. But everyone shut up and watched as PB&J sang it.



Granted, it is an awesome, catchy song, and very singalongable. Back in January, when I first heard it, I declared that it would become the hipster anthem of 2007.



They also played a beautiful rendition of "Up Against The Wall," which Dustin and I had to hear five million times when it was used in Maury's rough cut for a recent Levi's commercial. It eventually was bought for the spot, and although I reckon that Maury is responsible for the extra several grand in their bank accounts, Dustin pointed out that Maury probably would not have known about the song had I not been incessantly playing the album at work. Well, hey. It's a team effort.


A fabulously full night in Manhattan. Check out PB&J on their MySpace page and hear the songs I'm frickin' talkin' about.


love,
*jenna*

I think she's had some work done...

OMG you guys!!! Look who I came within three feet of outside the PS 260 building yesterday!!!


In full makeup and everything! He/She was FREAKY lookin'. And about 4'11''. Maybe now I can work for Gawker.

love,
*jenna*