jenn schiffer's live laugh blog

weekly retro #64: jetlag from the same time zone

this past week was packed with trains, fish, friends i don't get to see often, and pumagreg getting back to his old self.

photo of a gutted escalator in repair, taken from the 5th floor of a hotel that is panopticon style

i went to boston first thing on monday by train, which takes a bajillion hours for some reason. this was a session i was facilitating for a company aligned with my values. i got to reconnect with some old industry pals and talk to lots of people who care about privacy and culture. also i got to see the guts of an escalator being welded, which rocked.

photo of a large taken in the new england aquarium of lots of common tropical fish like clownfish

i had a couple hours to kill before the train back on wednesday, so i visited the new england aquarium for the first time in 10 years. in 2016 my then-job hosted a dataviz conference in the aquarium. this week was spring break so there were a lot more kids and strollers than i anticipated but nonetheless it's cool to see kids so excited about marine life.

photo of a bunch of chip crumbs on a train seat next to me and on the floor in the aisle, and there's trashed shoved into the seat pouch for the same seat

i was basically in and out on this trip with the exception of the aquarium visit. my ride back was kind of wild, because everyone kept getting scolded by the conductor for breaking quiet car rules. there was absolutely no decorum, it was so strange. the guy next to me was drunk and struggled to contain his crumbs - he had me covered in dorito dust! i don't think trains should serve alcohol.

photo of my black cat pumagreg on the vet office table with a cone on his head. he's looking straight at me like he wants to know why i torture him regularly these days

first thing the morning after i got back, i brought pumagreg to the vet to have his leg staples removed. the doctor said it healed beautifully which makes those tough two weeks worth the hard work and pain. now i have to research referrals to start the leg amputation process, ugh. it's just so nice to see him back to his old self, getting into places he's not allowed and antagonizing me.

photo of three of my bisque pieces on a metal table in the studio. there's my blue cat vase, a black traditional round vase, and a travel mug that i drew a black grid on

because of the boston trip, i missed the last class of wheel-throwing 2 this semester. on tuesday i start a new course that's for hand-building with a focus on coloring and glazing techniques. i also have a few bisque pieces to finish glazing so i write the third edition of what i made during ceramics class. i am excited to get back into a studio routine again after a couple week off.

photo of a long patch of yellow, orange and purple tulips around a park gazebo during gorgeous weather

today (sunday) surprised me with a beautiful sunny day. the day before was disgusting, most unfortunately because i was hosting my boston-based buddy mike. we were fortunate and lucky to have today be nice enough to walk around and get a delicious vegan brunch.

photo of a small tony hawk lawn ornament on a decorative stone bench and surrounded by brick sculpture, a scary baby doll, a dalmation, a rubber ducky

april flew by with action - with pumagreg's surgery, the caveat show, this boston gig, and hosting pals like potch, caitlin and mike. i am excited to be closing out the month with such a stacked list of projects/hosting accomplished despite a major depressive episode.

things i enjoyed this week

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xoxo jenn

this was published April 26, 2026 under living working weekly-retro pumagreg friends nyc boston aquarium trains ceramics jersey-city