Day 19: Everybody loves a chalice and my plea to Tina Fey.
Friday, July 8, 2011 at 12:26AM I was so sad to leave Boulder, where I wish I'd had more time to poke around. But as this trip goes, it's back to another marathon driving session, followed by marathon documenting session-- then back to sitting and driving a marathon to the next city-- rinse, repeat.
I started the day in Boulder, where I grabbed a much-longed-for Razzmatazz Jamba for breakfast-- thanks to my generous mom-in-law Pat's stack of gift cards. (Thanks, Pat!) I had a serious Jamba addiction about 11 years ago when I was an intern in Utah. I went so often the employees knew me and gave me free Jamba swag. It got to be a bit of a problem actually. Luckily I live where they aren't as readily available anymore.
A cool store and a unique cause!So down to Denver I went. On the way to my meeting time with Goodwill®, I drove past a thrift store called Safari Seconds. The name alone was enough to make me hit the brakes and take a look. Inside I found an inviting store full of smiles, ethnic art and handmade goods for sale near the door. In the back among the racks is a small setup of computers for training. Talking to some of the staff, I came to learn that the store generates funds from donations for a refugee employment training program that helps refugees recover from trauma and gain self-sufficiency. The store itself is run by some of the people it helps and it's an amazing thing to see. I wanted so badly to take some photos but their point-person wasn't available and time was tight. If you get a chance to stop in, I'd definitely recommend it.
Back in HaRVey, I headed to the South Broadway Goodwill® store to meet a local thrift blogger DeeAnna who writes A Little Junk In My Trunk. We bonded over the thrill of the hunt and a pair of orange pumps (her size, darn!). DeeAnna got into thrifting while recovering from a serious injury, simply because she needed a project to keep her busy. Like a lot of people, she walked in and got totally hooked. We chatted a little bit about the environmental benefits and the idea of thrift stores as a cultural landscape. I love meeting kindred spirits like DeeAnna. It's the people like her who make this trip so much fun.
......and it can be YOURS! We did a short video portrait of DeeAnna and Ed helped me find some awesome stuff to photograph, including a PIMP chalice that I just couldn't pass up. It's now for sale in the store to help continue to feed HaRVey's seemingly endless thirst for unleaded. Take a look!
The Goodwill® store on Broadway itself is nestled along trendy businesses, restaurants and a really craftacular fabric store that I long to live near (sigh). The thrift store's windows are big and bright and the place has the feel of a refurbished old department store, complete with metal ceiling tiles, original wood floors and white columns that give it a grandiose feel.
I bumped into Matthew, who had just dropped off some donations with a friend. They came inside on a whim-- neither of them are thrifters they say-- and found probably the most exciting thing a twenthysomething young man could find. A revolving liquor dispenser. They were obviously excited by their find and I'm sure they'll be putting it to good use very soon. And I hope they'll come back again next time they donate!
I also picked up a Second City t-shirt, which gave me an idea for a new-- second hand SIDE mission. I want Tina Fey to buy this shirt to help support the second hand documentary project.
I know she got her start at Second City in Chicago, where this shirt is from and where I'll be here in a few days, and while I know she'd probably be swimming in this shirt because it's so big, I would be so honored if my clever hero actually DID buy it!
Dear Tina,
You are awesome. You are clever. And you should totally buy this t-shirt to support my project!
Isnt' it cool that a GREEN Second City t-shirt appeared in a Goodwill® SECOND HAND STORE while I'm on a trip to promote second-hand living? I KNOW, right?!
And because I know you're a lady with a lot of smarts and a desire to help the envronment, I know you'd totally appreciate the mission I'm on right now to educate people about SECOND hand shopping!
So, Tina, I have your t-shirt. It's riding around in HaRVey with me right now but it really should be yours. You look fabulous in green. I think. Most people do anyway, so you probably would too.
I'll take whatever you want to offer for it. Or not.
Whatevs.
I just think you're awesome. And so is thrifting.
Your clever sister in crime,
Jenna
C'mon, Tina. You know you want it! Wait...what? You don't? ok.So after our awesome chalice and t-shirt purchase in Denver, it was time to take Ed to the airport for his flight back to DC. We hit a nasty, NASTY thunderstorm that caused flash floods. For a minute there I thought I might just float to Omaha! (....hmmmm...that could actually save gas money.....)
After about an hour of white-knuckle driving and a bit of a panic at what I thought was a tornado siren going off, he was at the curb waving goodbye. Suddenly the trip feels a little more lonely with my cook and co-pilot gone. Time to go feral again-- living on popcorn and banana yogurt.
Driving for the first time without a co-pilot through the northeastern corner of Colorado was eerily quiet. The skies cleared and the prairie looked like green velvet laid out for miles. Driving this RV makes me feel a little bit like Jack Nicholson's character in About Schmidt. Like Warren in the movie, I am a determined driver on the highways of Nebraska, alone in a big can of an RV. While I don't have any Hummels, I can almost picture his on my roof as I do a quick U-turn to get to the gas station across the street with the cheaper prices.
So it's just me, HaRVey and the creepy kids for a while. I leave you tonight somewhere just into Nebraska where I'm literally parked right between a semi and a cattle pen for the night. As I exit the mountain states and enter the cultural midwestern landscape of my childhood, I'm curious to look at thirft stores here with fresh eyes and ears. I can already smell the Husker merchandise that awaits me.
On an awesome note, I found out recently that the project was featured on Thrift Store Confidential a few days ago and --just today-- that the project has been featured in the July edition of Living Green Magazine! Check it out!
Tomorrow-- OMAHA!!!!
Reader Comments (4)
Hey Jenna!
Omaha Goodwill is ready for you, HaRVey AND the creepy kids!!
You should post your plea to Tina on the 30 Rock Facebook page. I'm loving your travels and I can't wait to see the finished documentary.
DeeAnna definitely took you to the nicest Goodwill in Denver--the others are dumpy, disorganized and dirty, I'm sorry to say. I wish they were all nice like the Broadway store! I will have to check out Safari Seconds--sounds like a great store with a great mission!
Hi I just found your site and look forward to reading more. I love the idea and what a great way to do a road trip. I too am a lover of thrifting and I blog at www.re-ublog.com
-JoAnna