The Modern Hedonist

Yeah, So I’m 30 Now

Jena — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:10:27 +0000

And I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a super awesome year. The funny thing is that I had a really hard time turning 29. I angst-ed over the loss of my youth and anguished over whether I had wasted much of the last decade ekeing out a nomadic, penniless student existence that didn’t even culminate in a second degree! Or, even if I eschewed the higher echelons of academic impressiveness, maybe if I had originally studied something Useful like Economics or Engineering, I could at the very least drop by Nordstrom’s Half Yearly Sale now and walk away with 5 bags of goodies without a second thought! I imagine successful materialism is a highly soothing balm to Ph.D drop-outs (or, as I prefer to think of myself, Ph.D hold-outs, because I haven’t totally given up the idea of finishing it at some point…).

But something kind of odd happened once I actually left my 20s. I feel calm. And confident. And excited about the future. And much more comfortable with who I am and what’s important to me. Maybe it’s the fact that all my friends (except Sara and Ro) are already in their 30s and really seem to be enjoying themselves. Maybe it’s the fact that Adam finally graduated and we’re only a few short months from our everyday lives changing drastically for the better. Maybe there’s some psychological and/or hormonal differences (various health articles seem to indicate so…). Maybe it’s partly because my 30th birthday party was at least twice as fun as any birthday party in my 20s (we had a private chef! we killed our own lobsters! my sister flew out from DC to surprise me!), and this bodes well for the future. I don’t really care what it is, though. I’m just happy that Adam summed it up by saying, “I love that you’re 30! That’s hot.”

Life-in-General Celebration

Jena — Wed, 11 May 2011 19:37:56 +0000

Yesterday, Adam and I had one of those best of all dates, the totally spontaneous just-because-we-feel-like-it-and-we-don’t-have-any-responsibilities-otherwise kind. Adam had taken his next-to-last final in the morning (Crim Law) and was feeling recklessly drunk with the sort of relief that only a worn down law student with the end nearly in sight can feel. He had one more (Secured Trans), but not till Friday, and it was beautifully sunny and warm, so when he picked me up he announced he was blowing off the rest of the day to have fun and hang out.

First, we spent an hour and a half soaking up the sun at Jamison Square, our feet in the water, getting occasionally splashed by the myriad adorable little kids jumping about, and talked about life and us and plans for our new apartment – just fun stuff though, not too deep. (I snagged this pic online, since I was having too much fun to remember to take one.)

Then we headed over to the east side and our favorite wine bar, Noble Rot – spectacular views of downtown and the West Hills from their rooftop terrace. We sat in more sun and drank prosecco, which they were handing around in celebration of their 9th birthday, and then we had more prosecco with limoncello, and then whiskey with crushed ginger. I had a salad of butter lettuce from their garden, with red onion and sunflower seeds.

It hit us next that sushi would be just the thing, and conveniently our favorite Portland sushi house was within blocks. This place – Bamboo – is awesome. It took us awhile to find a replacement for Sushi Toro in DC. Here in Portland, it seemed for awhile that all the sushi was either large and homogenous (Mio) or tiny and overpriced (Hiroshi). Bamboo features a lot of sustainably-harvested fish and their decor is very minimalist-industrial-northwest.

I asked the bartender for a sake rec and she gave me the best one I’d ever had. They serve it in a tall, narrow shot glass inside a red and black lacquered box – pouring until the liquid spills over the glass and fills up the box. I drank two of these and part of Adam’s, which could have contributed to my general feeling of bliss, I suppose, although it could also have been the avocado nigiri with truffled black salt – divine.

Over dinner, we discussed various events we could celebrate as the impetus for the evening – Early 30th Birthday Celebration! Almost Done With School Celebration! I Just Got a Raise Celebration! Adam said, “We celebrate a lot.” I laughed at the time, but today I keep coming back to that comment. It strikes me as meaningful in such a big, wonderful, totally lucky sort of way. It’s amazing to have so much to celebrate.

Antidote to Everything

Jena — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 21:57:30 +0000

I have to start this post by giving public acclaim (or, as public as a blog read by 8 people can be) to my friend Jeff, who in the time since my last post has provided me with the most effective, exhilarating, hardcore, totally kick-ass antidote to all the winter blues, lazy red-wine drinking/porn-reading/couch-laying-about tendencies, life stress, and generally bored blahs that were afflicting me. Jeff started working out with a ( muscle-bound, black belt, MMA fighter) trainer a number of months ago and couldn’t stop talking about it all – his program, his diet, his pain – and I was entranced. He started bugging me to come with him and try it out, but I kept demurring – mostly since he wanted to go during our lunch break, and I was worried about my hair and makeup and cute outfits getting messed up.

But one of the great things about having a guy as a close friend is that they totally do not give a shit about those kind of issues, and eventually Jeff prevailed. We’ve been working out together for around three months now I think, and it’s been AWESOME. He designed a complete resistance-training program for me based on tips and suggestions from his trainer, and he walks me through it each time. One of the greatest aspects of working out with a buddy who’s much larger and stronger than I am is that he can push me way past the point I would be getting to on my own, and consequently my progress has been pretty fast. And the endorphins are intense! A great, healthy, natural high is exactly what I’ve been needing. So I’m feeling alot happier and healthier and way hotter than I have in a long time.

In that spirit, I’m going to post some of my favorite pics from other happy, healthy times in my life to motivate me to keep going long-term. And this summer, when it’s finally warm enough to don a bikini, I’m going to put up a pic of that, too, to remind me of what I’m after even when the weather goes back to the interminable rain and cold! (It’s kind of blah weather today, too, and I’m tired, so while I’m blogging I’m listening to Prince’s Dirty Minds, the dirtiest, sexiest thing I could think of, to amp me up and get me back in the gym again today after a week off, a business trip, and the start of that best of all times, my monthly friend).

This group is from our trip to Rome a few summers ago. It was our first night there, and we were hot and tired, but totally exhilarated – and I love this black dress.

Clearly I’m most focused on my first real Italian gelato. Looks kind of disgusting in this picture, but it really was good.

It’s weird to see my hair grown out like this, and (gasp) a tan from a year of LA sun.

The Trevi fountain at night – so refreshing after the 100+ degree daytime weather!

There were public fountains for clean drinking water all over the city – every one different. This little gargoyle was near our hotel and one of my favorites.

Filling up again at the huge fountain outside the church which houses Bernini’s St. Teresa in Ecstasy:

Resting up for a minute at the top of the Palatine:

At this 17th C. carriage house converted into a beer hall/restaurant. I think we were the only English-speakers there, but everyone was so friendly and funny. It’s a blurry shot, but I loved this top and now I have no idea where it is.

Adam conceived of this totally stupid notion of taking a picture of my ass in every new location we visited, sort of an around-the-world journey type of thing. I shot that down, but I think this was him trying to sneak it in.

Being a total geek with the hand of Constantine. Adam almost wouldn’t take this picture, but I begged him.

That’s it for my favorite Happy Me pics in Rome. This next one I shot in DC on my camera phone for my beautiful J-Ro, who was single and lonely at the time. This was her favorite sweater of mine.

I love this one of Sara and I getting ready in mom’s hotel room, the morning of Dana’s wedding:

And later in the day, as Dana’s maid of honor:

This last one is totally silly. It’s another one of Adam’s; we’re visiting the church in NC where his parents got married. Obviously this was not among the group we sent them of the trip. I’ve included it here only because I’m wearing my favorite Seven jeans, which I can no longer fit into, as additional motivation. When I can fit into these jeans again, this picture is coming down.

Adam keeps coming in and telling me about his clever, clever scheme for getting us out of the bulk of our tax liability, so I guess that’s it for now. I’ve moved on in the meantime to Controversy, and have decided that I’ve put up enough happy and motivational pictures that it’s now time to get in the gym for my post-travel cardio routine.

Ummm…

Jena — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 22:47:37 +0000

How horribly embarrassing that it was JUNE last time I posted something. Brooks warned me back when I started this thing that keeping a blog was full-time work. Well, maybe not full-time, but alot.

The last few months have been kind of a blur. Adam’s sequestered in his office pretty much full-time. It’s been getting progressively colder and darker and more rainy, which means all I want to do is curl up under my big fluffy white blanket and read novels (or watch Glee), and while it feels sort of hedonistic to do that instead of working out or reading academic monographs (like I should be), it’s not terribly interesting to write about. A post would go something like this:

“Tonight, I drank half a bottle of red wine and stayed up too late reading yet another romance novel in which the impossibly gorgeous, yet conflicted and misunderstood medieval Highland lord/hero alternately fumes at and swoons over the aloof and also impossibly gorgeous woman he ends up somehow married to; she does the same; after multiple completely stupid misunderstandings, eventually they end up in bed and everything is resolved and they commit to making a lot of babies and growing lavender and living happily ever after.” Ok, maybe I’ve read only one of these recently, but as it was exactly like every other romance novel I’ve ever read, it felt like more. I sniggered frequently, and rolled my eyes, and thought things like, “wow, how incredibly sexist and mysogynistic these people are,” but I still read it. I’m not sure why. I could probably figure it out if I indulged in a little more self-reflection. It’s basically porn for women (you know, cuz it has a “plot” and “characters”).

I’ve also been shopping at J. Crew alot. They recently rolled out their weekend-only online site, J. Crew Factory, which looks like basically the same stuff but greatly reduced in price. Now THERE is a true hedonistic pleasure. Online shopping on reduced-priced J. Crew! I haven’t actually seen any of the items in person yet (my first order is on its way), so I can’t speak to the quality, but I’m eternally optimistic when it comes to the Crew. Everything is sparkly or ruffly and so feminine! But not like Laura Ashley (ugh). They also have free personal stylists in the stores; I connected with an awesome girl months ago and I now feel like a celebrity whenever I go in. She knows my sizes and color and style preferences and puts stuff aside for me and always remembers to give me my student discount (thanks to my still-active @ucla.edu account), and recommends things I wouldn’t have considered alot of times. Super cool.

I’ve been drinking alot of wine (as mentioned…) and attempting to put kale into everything. Kale is a rock-star superfood, apparently. My favorite method of eating it currently is to chop a bunch up really small, saute it briefly with olive oil, garlic, and shallots, and then stir it into a big bowl of creamy mashed potatoes. With broiled salmon (basted with dijon, wasabi, and ginger), a divine dinner.

I guess that’s been about it. Food, wine, shopping, novels…not too bad. Still kind of feels like just running out the clock till law school is over. I have been reading some academic stuff on American history, which is more like eating broccoli…not at all my real historical interest, and just doing it because I have to. Still, I’m expecting to get more interested as I learn more. I like modern American much better than colonial/revolutionary/expansion/Civil war – that’s like blah, blah, blah. I’m reading an interesting book about women and families during the cold war, and how anti-communist propaganda shaped or influenced notions of the family in society. That stuff is actually really enlightening; it’s political and cultural and relevant. Also I really like Mad Men, which speaks to some of the same themes.

Anyway…I’ve got about six more months before the next big life change, and it really has been a total slog in getting here, and so often I’m tempted to get kind of blue and feel in a rut and self-medicate on red wine and mindless fiction, but in honor of the holiday we just celebrated, I’m reaffirming my commitment to being grateful for all the little luxuries that I have in my life, and I am going to start blogging about them here! If for no other reason than to prove myself how lucky I really am.

AC/DC, Amps, and Me

Jena — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 23:02:24 +0000

My musical evolution from classical snob to metal lover is due to my dear MoTH, an avid rocker torn between the opposing forces of his debauched tendancies (drinking, smoking, and carousing till all hours) and his pure impulses (sweetly handling my every mood and catering to my many whims. Also working hard at law school). Luckily he’s found solice in bands he deems both debauched and pure, in that they are the biggest, baddest, ultimatest expression of the genre.

The result of his tutelage seems to be that I am no longer content merely to listen in awe. And jumping around is just stupid. So I’ve decided to take up the electric guitar as both an outlet for my wilder side and because I have no room for a piano. Adam kindly “gave” me his Fender Stratocaster, and this weekend he bought me a fancy amp and pedal board which can make all sorts of really cool effects, along with a beginning lesson book and an AC/DC songbook.

I think he was maybe a little put out that the piece of equipment I was most excited about was the shiny red cord, but it is really pretty and it looks great with the black guitar.

Anyway, I’ve practiced about 20-25 minutes each day, which is about my limit since I don’t have calluses and the strings make my fingers hurt. I know six notes and I sound awful. It’s really weird to be such a beginner again. But Joanna’s brain book explains the amazing ways the brain can continue to grow when faced with new challenges, so it’s good for me to learn this, as well as fun and hopefully eventually really sexy. Adam laughing calls me “Shredder Foo” now but that’s a LONG way off.

We rearranged his “office” last weekend, resulting in more space, a better layout, and room for the new music equipment.

Metal Baby

Jena — Thu, 27 May 2010 21:10:57 +0000

Here are Adam and Micah, rocking Guitar Hero Metallica at full speed and full volume as usual, only with the addition of Alice in the pink sling. I don’t know whether she’s asleep or just catatonic, but before they started playing she was screaming and as soon as the volume reached peak levels she became quiet. Does she love Metallica already? We can only hope.

Back When It Was Sunny Here…

Jena — Tue, 25 May 2010 20:54:22 +0000

It’s been pouring rain here now for awhile, but the weekend before my birthday it was actually gorgeous, warm and bright. Joanna picked me up for an impromptu hike that Friday after work. We loaded up on Jamba Juice and peanut butter-stuffed pretzels, and then headed out towards Multnomah Falls. We ended up doing a hike at some place that starts with an L and was sort of French (if J remembers, she can post it in the comments) It seemed more off-the-beaten-path than Multnomah Falls, which can be really crowded.

I think we did the loop in about an hour and a half. We were pleased with ourselves since we didn’t really know the hiking route or quite where the trailhead was located, but J is really adventurous (or else just objects to planning) and it all worked out.

An Example for All and Sundry Babies

Jena — Wed, 19 May 2010 22:10:10 +0000

We expected nothing else, naturally, of the spawn of Micah and Liza, but here is Alice, out on the town for the first time, at only three weeks, already being awesome:

Birthday Fun

Jena — Tue, 18 May 2010 21:05:27 +0000

Since my birthday this year falls on a workday, the fun times got split up over several days. On Sunday (Adam’s first weekend out of school for the summer!) we had brunch at Mother’s, one of Portland’s best – Crabcake Eggs Benedict, Pecan Vanilla Cinnamon Rolls, Mimosas – and then walked it off on our first City Walk from a book I just got – 2-6 mile guided walks through each of Portland’s neighborhoods. It was a gorgeous sunny day and we discovered a beautiful ‘hood we never knew of before (old, old money…amazing architecture), and then we spent a couple hours at Powell’s. I collected some new political and historical works and expanded my library of Charlaine Harris novels.

Just a few moments ago this arrived (gorgeous Toby Pomeroy necklace from Mom and Alan! Yay!):

Today, I had lunch at the Heathman with Joanna (after she brought me lilies, wine, chocolate, and assorted other goodies). The menu included:

Roasted Pear and Cabecou Feuille salad (brandy macerated chevre grilled in a chestnut leaf, arugula, pomegranage vinaigrette and toasted almonds)
Lentil Soup with Ham and Fresh Herbs (me)
French Onion Soup with Swiss Gratin (J)
Malbec
Flourless Chocolate Torte with Ganache, Chocolate Praline, and Vanilla Bean ice cream (on the house, our prize for Joanna subtly slipping in the fact that it was my birthday as we were being seated)

And then after work I’m having a massage at Dosha. Tonight for dinner we’re having avocado and grapfruit salad with pork chops seared in hot pepper butter. Wow…I didn’t realize how food-centric this whole experience is. At least I exercised both weekend days. Adam says he doesn’t want me cooking on my birthday, but I don’t actually mind that much. It’s a pleasure to cook when you have good company (especially a good looking, interesting man) and no pressure. I think we’ll try to have a low-key evening, maybe drink some wine and watch a movie or something.

Thanks to everyone who sent me good wishes and/or in other ways made my day special!

Birthday Reflections

Jena — Tue, 18 May 2010 15:39:05 +0000

Today I turn 29. I feel resigned to it, and not completely terrible, mostly because Dana is already in her 30′s and she just keeps getting cooler, so I have hope. Maybe my 30′s will be way better than my 20′s (which weren’t bad). Entering the last year of my 20′s decade though has put me in a reflective mood this morning. I remember that when Dana turned 30, Brooks made a list of all the things she had accomplished that year, so I thought I would do that for myself (albeit not as poetically). In my 20′s, I:

Graduated from college
Went to grad school
Got married
Moved to LA
Moved to DC
Moved to Portland
Visited Rome
Made 3 amazing friends: Joanna, Liza, Becky

There were some sucky things (parents getting divorced, ca-RAY-zy in-laws), but I really did learn alot and grow up quite a bit through this stuff. So all in all I can’t complain. There are a lot of things to look forward to: this coming year is Adam’s last in law school. He’ll graduate before I turn 30. After that, we can buy a house. We can have or adopt babies (Joanna: “Babieeees!!”). I can go to grad school again (if I want to). We can travel a lot (Spain, Mexico, Scotland…). Etc. And I’m going to plan an awesome, amazing 30th birthday party. Oh, so Dana, be ready to fly somewhere for that.