Rain Report: We had a tornado today at Seal Beach. I couldn’t believe it. It lifted an SUV off the ground and two boats out of the water. It also broke windows. This storm has also uprooted trees and a lot of cars were under water. On the news last night I saw that a 100-year-old tree fell on a house, and other trees fell on cars. So far no one has been hurt but there is lots of mud everywhere and some of our freeways are closed. It rained really hard today but the worst is still to come… on Thursday.

Rain Report: It poured down hard most of the day with so much wind it was raining sideways. I went out to buy a rain slicker and rubber boots and driving along Mulholland, there were microwave-size boulders on the road as well as many smaller rocks and a tree that fell across the road. There were flooded areas all along the road so drivers were swerving to avoid either the rocks or the sitting water. It was a scary drive but I got my slicker so I could go out and check the drains around the house. Some were clogged with leaves and debris so I cleared them away and 20 minutes later, they were clogged again. I guess the water was flowing so fast, it kept picking up debris every time. Authorities have started evacuating people from the burn areas because if mud starts coming down, it can take a house with it. On the bright side, the roof’s not leaking.

We got sandbags yesterday and placed them across the back patio in anticipation of the deluge of rain that’s coming. The fire stations are providing the bags and the sand for whoever needs it and since our backyard slopes toward the house, it seemed like the smart thing to do. We’ve never lived in this house during torrential rains but if we do get the 20 inches of rain predicted, who knows what could happen. I went grocery shopping and bought enough food for a week in case the roads aren’t passable. The last time it rained like this about 10 years ago, part of Mulholland Drive collapsed and went down the hill so the road was closed. We live in the hills so with the extra food & water, we are covered if we can’t get down the hill. It started raining at 1 p.m. this afternoon and it’s still raining now (11 p.m.). There will likely be mud slides where the recent fires were. Everyone is anxious and hoping for the best.

I posted some new Vintage Videos on the site. A lot of people email asking if that’s really me on Press Your Luck (it is) which they always run on the Game Show Network and I finally found the video and posted it. I also found a funny JJ spoof featuring the late John Ritter, and there are two others: my guest appearances on sitcoms Getting By and Doogie Howser, M.D.. You’ll see how good Neil Patrick Harris was even back then. Enjoy!

Kayla writes…
Hey I’m Kayla. Only 15. Um well I found out I’m pregnant 3 months ago!!
I’m so very scared to tell my parents because my sister is 17 and they found
out and they are so pissed that she is pregnant! I need help!!
What should I do?

My Response…
Dear Kayla,
I think you already know what you have to do. It’s not easy but you have to tell your parents, and do it soon. Eventually, they will find out and the sooner you tell them, the sooner you can get proper care and come up with a plan. You’re very young and they can help you decide if you should consider adoption or if you and the father can be effective parents. Being a good parent means putting your child first, so make the decision based on what’s best for this baby, and not what’s difficult for you. Now that you’re pregnant, there will be more challenges to face besides telling your parents so you might as well get this one behind you. I know it’s not easy but there are times when we all have to do things in life that aren’t easy and it’s what helps us grow and build character. So be someone this baby will be proud of some day. Tell your parents. And do it now.
Jenny

Why did I have to be a girl? We have a wedding to go to next month and I still have nothing to wear. I’ve been out shopping the last three nights, I’ve bought two dresses, took them both back, just bought a third one tonight, but I’m leaving the tags on. I don’t like dresses but the last wedding I wore pants (beautiful silk ones) and I was the only woman in pants, so now I need a dress, since I do not own one. Men just put on a tie and jacket or suit but it’s not easy for women. Here’s my dress dilemma: How long? Above or below the knee? Something frilly? Don’t want to out-frill the bride. What about color? Will fuschia be too distracting? “Look at her trying to steal the spotlight!” Then black. Can’t go wrong with basic black. Too morbid? Will it send a message that their marriage is doomed? What about a jacket? I might look like I stopped by the wedding on my way to a business seminar. What’s the dress code? Even restaurants will tell you “upscale casual.” It’s just too stressful. I need to bake some cookies.

Sara writes…
Dear Jenny,
Hi my name is Sara and I am 23 years old. For the past 4 1/2 years I’ve been dealing with depression and anxiety ever since my boyfriend and I broke up. He was my high school sweetheart, my first true love.. and I really loved him. Well we were on and off for awhile until he finally found a new girlfriend who he has been with for almost 2 years. I’ve been dating around, trying to find a new guy.. but the problem is I just keep getting too attached too quickly and I always seem to end up getting my heart broken. I feel almost desperate to find someone to love me again, but time after time it just keeps ending up in heartache for me. I’m beginning to think that I will never have a real relationship again. I dream of getting married and becoming a mom and I feel like time is just passing me by and all of my friends have boyfriends and some are already married with kids. I know 23 is still young, and my mom tells me I still have “time”.. but what happens when I’m 40 years old and still alone? I don’t know, I feel like maybe I never really got over my ex and it’s hindering me from truly being happy. I mean don’t get me wrong – there are guys who try to date me but all the nice guys I don’t like, and all the bad guys I fall head over heels for. I’m just sick of crying myself to sleep at night and I want to find someone without pushing them away. Please help.. I don’t know how much more of this loneliness I can take.

My response…
Dear Sara,
I can feel the pain in your words. Where do I start? If you’ve been truly depressed for 4 1/2 years, you probably should talk to a professional who can treat your depression. However, if you’ve just been moping for 4 1/2 years, that’s a different story. I know it’s tough to lose your first love – it happened to me too and I admit that I still think about him. But it’s more wondering who he is today as a person. On a side note, I just heard from another old boyfriend that I was crazy about years ago, and now that he’s older, he’s a completely different (& not-so-nice) person – and not the Mr. Perfect I thought he was! But at the time he was my dream guy. People change as they get older, so even though teenagers are in crazy love, once they develop into adults, a lot of times they grow apart and find a more compatible partner. If you believe in fate, your ex is not the guy for you. I believe it’s actually better NOT to be tied down at 23. In about 5 more years, you’ll know better who you are and you won’t need a man to validate you. Right now you’re sounding desperate and nothing scares a good man away faster than a desperate woman. You even said you feel “almost desperate to find someone to love me again.” My advice? Stop looking for a man. You don’t need one right now. We need to find you first. Focus on your career, your work, and on yourself. You can choose not to be lonely. Go out with friends, join a gym, volunteer, take classes in something new, take a second job, do positive things and your self esteem will grow and you will soon be a new, confidant woman (the kind good men like). I think you keep falling for bad guys because that’s all you think you deserve. Soon you’ll be telling those bad guys to take a hike! If you build up your confidence, you won’t feel like you “need” a man. And as soon as you don’t need one, the right guy will find you.

Jenny

Oops, I tripped and fell in the kitchen. My foot caught the edge of a runner which pushed the runner forward creating a hump ahead of me for a second trip and by then, there was no turning back. It happened quickly but I still felt like I was in slow motion, seeing the floor coming at me, knowing I couldn’t stop it, and hoping nothing was going to break. The last time I fell was 20 years ago ice skating and I broke my shoulder, so this time as I was going down, I kept hoping no bones would break. And they didn’t. But I do have bruises on my right hand, left knee, left elbow, and my back is sore, but no broken bones – yay!

Anonymous writes…
Dear Jenny,
I am dating a great man however, his three teenaged children are rude, liars and just seriously are not worth trying with anymore. He has tried so hard with them but they do and say EVERYTHING their mother tells them. Our relationship is slowly ending because of them, something is always brewing and stirring amongst them. We were talking marriage and were very thankful to find each other again after all this time. How do I tell him it is over because of his children and his ex? I cannot take it anymore. I will miss him dearly and I need the correct words reminding him it is not him.
Thank you,
Anonymous

My response…
Dear Anonymous,
I have been exactly where you are. I was dating a great man with four children and I married him, too naive to know that his children would impact my life forever. Luckily, you are not married to him yet, and I can assure you that if you did marry, things would only get worse. But it seems you know that already. And my guess is he probably does too. I don’t see any reason to blame anyone as that would serve no purpose except to alienate his family. If you care about him, then don’t put him in the position of his kids being blamed for this relationship ending. My suggestion is to take the high road and tell him that this relationship is just too complicated and that you need to move on. But be firm and don’t give him the opportunity to say how things will get better, etc… They won’t. “I still care for you, but I don’t see a future together for us.” He’ll know why and you’ll be leaving with dignity and class. I wish you the best.
Jenny

I ran errands most of the day. To get all my favorite things I had a lot of stops: The tea store for my favorite white organic tea; Whole Foods for the healthiest tortillas; Trader Joe’s for yeast and high lycopene tomatoes; Bristol Farms for prunes; then I went to the mall just because I haven’t been for ages. What is that smell at Restoration Hardware?