REBOOT.

I was in the middle of another romantic epiphany blog when it happened again. Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody” suddenly went into an impromptu techno remix that only played one note, my mouse no longer worked… and then.. there it was.

The Blue Screen of Death.

I first saw the Blue Screen of Death last November. I didn’t really think too much about it. Just figured it was one of those buggy things that PC’s got every once in a while. So I upgraded my firewalls, upgraded my virus protection, and went about my own business. But then it happened again sometime mid February. And again in April. The Blue Screen of Death was becoming far too regular a visitor to my beloved laptop.

Ordinarily, I would just take Hewlett (my computer), to my buddy Erick and let him tinker with him until he was back in working order. But, I wasn’t in Tampa, and had no plans to travel in the immediate future. So I took Hewlett to the boys over at the Geek Squad to see if they could figure out what was wrong with him.

The diagnosis was bleak.

Hewlett was simply running out of memory and running out of time. Sure, I could buy an external hard drive and milk him a little while longer, but there was no telling when he would surf his final web page or simply give out on me. Here I was, a girl born and raised from the grassroots of internet message boards, and I could barely keep a solid WIFI connection, let alone multitask without sending Hewlett into an electronic seizure. And with all the craziness I had coming up in my schedule, I couldn’t afford to be caught on the road with no access to cyberspace. It was time to face a harsh reality. Hewlett had simply become outdated.

Hewlett and I have seen a lot of adventures (and misadventures) over the past few years. I got him as a Christmas gift from my parents the year I started writing for Sports Illustrated, and we’ve been inseparable ever since. He has seen me through the good times, the bad times, and all the ones in between.

How was I supposed to part with something that had been such a huge part of not only my professional success, but my personal life over the past four years?? Sure his “G” key was a little busted, his speakers were a little rusted, and his memory was at times a little fuzzy, but he always got the job done. We knew the airport security drill like the back of our hard drives, and had become masters of pirating our way through random WIFI connections. But what now?

Hewlett wasn’t the only one feeling the strain the past few years had put on our lives. Between my shooting schedules, upcoming projects, charity work, and meetings, I barely have enough time to sleep let alone take care of myself. And that’s while I was single. My relationships over the past few years had been even more draining, some of course far more than others. I dunno, maybe Hewlett was trying to tell me something. MALFUNCTION: NEED INPUT. Maybe I needed something else in my life. A change, a fresh… something. Maybe it was time.. to say goodbye.

I’m proud of the things I have accomplished in the short four years since that fateful Monday night. People can say I haven’t accomplished much, or downplay the victories I have had, or better yet attribute all my success to cleverly crafted cleavage… but I think they’d be shortchanging me if they did. As some of my colleagues have pointed out on numerous occasions, I wasn’t born into this industry. Nor did I have any real formal training. People work their entire lives to do a fraction of what I have done merely a few years. I was thrust into it overnight, by luck. Ran with it, by chance. And never looked back, with hard work and dedication.

That’s not to say I haven’t had a few missteps along the way. After all, with no fancy publicists, agents, or managers until recently.. I’ve done most of it by myself and the help of a few trusted friends and family. Sure, I will put my foot in my mouth a time or too but I’ve always said I am so much more eloquent on paper. Hewlett has spell check.. grammar check. And a backspace key. Really, what more could a girl ask for?

My parents arrived this week to help me get things in order and make final preparations for the big things ahead of me. After I coerced my dad into reprising his role as Tim the Tool Man Taylor and installing a new air conditioner in my future apartment.. I gave him an even bigger task: One last ditch effort to save Hewlett. My dad is pretty nifty with computers, but something in the back of my mind said this job was just too big for any of us to handle.

As we backed up all of Hewlett’s memories, part of me couldn’t help but get a little nostalgic. There I was…. meeting Brent Musberger in Eugene, Oregon. Shaking & Baking with Tony Stewart and the boys of NASCAR. Falling in love and touching the Ivy on the Walls of Wrigley. There were pictures intermixed of boyfriends past. The ones that were better off friends, the ones that got away, and the ones I couldn’t seem to get .. to just go away. Then, there they were. The infamous screen captures that started it all: The birth of “The Cowgirl.” I couldn’t help but laugh at how things had changed in the past four years. From short shorts and cowboy hats, to power suits and couture dresses. The ‘lil Cowgirl was all grown up. I guess we all have to at some point, right?..

While perusing through the photos I stumbled upon a folder name I didn’t recognize. GHSMB2002. Hm.. that’s weird. I opened the folder.

Sure enough, it was the old me. The one before the plastic surgery, the one before all the heartbreak. The girl who was a hopeless romantic, a prolific piano player, and had one of the biggest cheese grins you have ever seen.

Then it dawned on me.

WTF was I thinking?!?!?!?! I couldn’t disassemble Hewlett. He had served me well, and I was just willing to throw in the towel.. just like that. I don’t think so!!!

NO DIS-ASSEMBLE HEWLETT!!!!!!.........

So, countless hours later, with a new partitioned hard drive and lord knows what other miracles my dad had worked on the operating table, we managed to buy Hewlett a second lease on life. It wasn’t quite starting over per se, because we’d always have our memories and the occasional glitch here or there. But at least we had a fresh blank screen to work on.. a new hard drive. External hard drive for the old memories.. but a place to start anew and keep the good times coming. Then I thought, maybe it was time to shut down my own operating systems for a little while, and reboot myself too.

Sometimes you just have to start life over with a blank screen and leave the past right where it belongs… behind you, whatever hardships it may entail. Otherwise, you could look around one day and find yourself.. well, extremely outdated. I wasn’t about to tear apart all the hard work I had done in the past five years, only tweak it so I could build upon it to start a new chapter. The road ahead wasn’t going to be an easy one.. but I was prepared to do just that.

Please Stand By Ladies and Gentlemen…..

Jenn 2.0 is LOADING.. .. .. .. ..

Oh the Places You’ll Go..

This past week has been the first week I have actually gotten to sleep in my own bed instead of a hotel room for a month. That’s because I have spent more time in planes, trains, and automobiles than any person should. Normally, I’d be blogging away about my adventures, but honestly there really hasn’t been much down time, and when there was, I was spending it with my friends and family that I have neglected for far too long now.

The month of July began with a bang, and not just a metaphorical one. July 4th landed me in Orlando and Daytona with a few of my girlfriends over at the Pepsi 400. Yes, I have an addiction. The following week I spent in Chicago, both for the race and to take in a ball game at the legendary Wrigley field.



In my 23 years on this planet these eyes have yet to see anything that comes even close to the beauty that is Wrigley. Sure, franchises across the country are clamoring to build their brand new state of the art stadiums. But not the Nothside of Chicago. No. They have instead proclaimed their hundred plus year old stadium a landmark. From the old fashioned score board to the Old Style beer to the in-house band, Wrigley field is what America’s past time is all about. The outfield wall isn’t pimped out with ads for Viagra or auto accident repair shops, it’s just covered in a simple green vine and two tastefully placed UnderArmor ads. And I kinda liked it that way. The outfield itself is very picturesque, not to mention the creative seating that the surrounding buildings have added themselves on the rooftops. One of the buildings actually has a roof painted like a Budweiser bottle. Genius marketing if you ask me. And the best part of the day was getting to share the experience with my dad, my friend Will Carroll and his wife Barbara.



The following weekend I spent cruising the Big Apple with my friends Sara and Gavin. Friday night Sara and I were guests of the Yankees as they hosted my hometown team the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Our representative from the Yankees showed us around the ballpark and even gave us a tour of Monument Park. If you haven’t been to a Yankees game, you must go for this very reason. It was great seeing people of all ages finding their favorite players among the “Greats” that had their place in the park. A couple of the Rays players that recognized me from the Tampa games waved as I walked past during warm ups. I can honestly say some of them looked a bit confused when they saw me in the stands with pinstripes, but it didn’t stop them from being friendly. After all, I still have nothing but love for the Rays, but you know what they say about..”When in Rome…?” Well, the same definitely holds true for… “When in the Bronx.” That night, the Rays handed the Yankees their only loss that entire weekend.

The next day after a run through central park (or I should say brisk walk, right Gavin??), I headed to Weehawken, New Jersey to take on my first acting role in an independent film by Poison Apple Pictures. I had an absolute blast working with the cast and crew, not to mention the trailer came out great. I really can’t wait to get started on the rest of the project, so stay tuned for more updates.

After another brief stint in Chicago (and of course a random Sox game), I headed back to my father’s hometown of Indianapolis for the Busch Series at O’Reilly. Will, Barb, a few friends of theirs, and myself met up for dinner Friday night and talked all there was to talk about regarding sports issues and of course catching him up on my latest travels. Saturday was spent primarily at the track, where I helped present a check for Checkers Rally’s pit stop challenge. I absolutely LOVE hanging out in pit row; it sure beats bleacher seats any day of the week! Plus, I get to try out my ever-popular shirts I bring to the track. Everyone seems to be huge fans. This most recent one got laughs, but nothing compares to “Boogity Boogity Boogity.”

The next morning I boarded a plane super early for New Orleans to meet up with some friends for the AFL’s Arena Bowl. San Jose finished off Columbus early in the second half, but it was still great game to watch. Arena football reminds me a lot of college football… minus the school work of course. The fans are super loyal, and the players themselves play with the utmost heart. Sure they can get a little “passionate,” and in the heat of the moment try to “drop” somebody against one of the walls… but hey, that’s what competition is all about, right?..

The following Tuesday I was finally back in Tampa. It felt good to crawl into my own bed, and snuggle up next to my cat… who by now probably had gotten used to the extra space, though she didn’t seem to mind having to make room for me. So now, as football season approaches, I am gonna take the next few weeks to just lay low, and get geared up for fall. My apologies for the absence… and it’s great to be back..

Catch you guys real soon. ;)

Besos, Jenn.

ADMIN NOTE: Check out Jenn's appearance in the promotional trailer for Poison Apple Pictures' Divo Brown

Back Home Again in Indiana

Growing up the youngest of three boys in Indianapolis, Indiana, I think my Dad often looks up to the sky and asks why someone played a cruel joke on him and threw my mom two X’s instead of a Y. With all the testosterone that ran rampant through that house it’s no wonder why my dad came to have the fierce love for sports he does, let alone competition in general. There are always certain sporting events throughout the year where my Dad gets a little on the nostalgic side. There’s Wide Right One and its sequels (Sorry fellow 'Noles fans), his hatred for Pete Carroll since his days with the Jets (I know.. what a grudge!)… and of course the days of the “Big Sombrero” (AKA.. The Creamsicle Era for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) when the NFL’s season gets under way. But there is one event that has the ability to move even the biggest sports geeks in the world to tears: Jim Nabors, AKA Gomer, singing “Back Home Again in Indiana” prior to the start of one of the greatest sporting events in American history: The Indianapolis 500.

There are certain events in life that one must experience as almost a rite of passage if you will, as a part of their family’s tradition. For the Sterger family, this race... is just that. Known for repeating his stories more than Nick At Nite reruns ‘I Love Lucy’ episodes, my dad has often told my sister and I stories about his memories growing up blocks from the track. There were times he would lay in bed, and listen to them test the engines. Or other times, when he would sell newspapers at the track, just to be able to watch the race from the infield. He spent time among some of the track’s legendary drivers, and even grew up along side of some of their children that would preserve their families’ legacies as some of the greatest in the history of the sport. My dad has always talked about taking my sister and I back to his hometown to experience one of his greatest childhood memories, but with the help of my friends at IMS and Miller Lite… I one-upped him. This year, I surprised my dad with one of his greatest dreams come true: I took him back home again… to Indiana.

While some may contend that open wheel racing has begun to lose the flair and prestige it once had, I beg to differ. What I saw in my three days at the Indy Motor Speedway rivaled many of the greatest sporting events I had ever attended. Here are just a few of the highlights.


Carb Day!!!... I was stoked. I thought hot damn.. I finally get to break my diet… and eat some bread. Boy, was that false advertising. Lots of cars, lots of hotdogs, lots of… alcohol. But alas.. No bread. (Will Carroll, you are a liar!!!!... ) Sigh. Actually, Carb Day is the last day the cars can be on the track for practice before Sunday’s big race. Though the weather held out rather nicely, it also proved to be scorching hot for the good majority of the day. The afternoon got so hot in fact, that one young woman felt compelled to take her clothes off on top of the guard fence surrounding the track during the Pit Challenge. Surprisingly, she didn’t walk away with newly fashioned silver bracelets from the Indianapolis Police. She did however get escorted away by her less than thrilled husband.

The Checker’s Rally’s Pit Crew Challenge was pretty much the highlight of Carb Day for me. It was nice to see the guys that do all the behind the scenes nitty gritty stuff get some well-deserved recognition for all their hard work.




In the end, it was Helio Castroneves and his Penske crew that beat out another Penske crew by a mere few milliseconds. And the best part of all?.. Yours truly got to present their check!!!...





After a few smiles for the camera, I got a behind the scenes tour of some of the garages, but namely the Luczo Dragon Car garage. The guys were super nice, though I couldn’t convince them to let me borrow their spare car for the afternoon. Damn. Oh well, maybe next year?..










Anyone that knows me, knows my passion for food… namely a great steak. So, I was pretty stoked to get into one of Indy’s most legendary steakhouses: St. Elmo’s. I dunno how to tell you this.. but their shrimp sauce is apparently kinda a big deal. I mean, people know about it. Unfortunately however, I am not a huge fan of anything that lives in the water. Needless to say, you won’t catch me trying to decide if something is chicken or fish. I know the distinction quite well. So, everyone else got to enjoy their shrimp, and I got my steak. And all was right with the world.

The big fuss surrounding this year’s race was regarding the overabundance of female drivers: 3 of them. While three may not sound all that great, it most certainly is when one of them just so happens to be Danica Patrick. Sara Fisher also returned to the scene this year after a brief stint in Nascar West. And, rounding out the top three was newcomer Milka Duno.

This year’s race also proved to be a wet one. It rained for most of the morning before the race, and when the sun finally did make its appearance there was certainly no shortage of humidity. There were tons of celebrities on hand for the race namely Ludacris, Florence Henderson, and Ashley Judd (smoking hot wife to Dario Franchitti). Patrick “McDreamy” Dempsey was this year’s pace car driver, a job I so envied. He was probably one of the first guys I have seen actually put the pedal to the floor in the pace car… then again he does race as a hobby of his. Colt’s Quarterback Peyton Manning was this year’s flag waver, though he seemed to be having some difficulty perfecting his wave.

There was the absence of one iconic face this at this year’s race however: “Gomer.” Much to my father’s and I’m sure everyone else’s dismay, Jim Nabor’s was not on hand to sing his timeless rendition of “Back Home Again in Indiana.” Instead the entire crowd joined in voice and sang in his honor. (Get Well Gomer. We wish you well!)

The race itself was a wash. The rain held out just long enough to get past the half way point. Stop. Then start again. When the race was finally called it was Dario Franchitti that would lay claim to this year’s title.

“So raise that glass of milk high Mr. Fanchitti, because not only did you win one of the greatest races in the history of American sports, you also get to wake up next to your smoking hot actress of a wife. If that’s not something to celebrate.. I dunno what is.”

Boobity Boobity Boobity???… Whatever.. Let’s Go Racing!...

Two weekend’s ago, I had the opportunity of a lifetime to experience the world of Nascar first hand. Although my trip to Daytona left me with high expectations, the people at Nascar assured me this experience would top them all - and they didn’t disappoint.

Saturday, my family and I flew into Atlanta and made the two hour drive to Talladega. Upon arrival I knew I was in Nascar country. There is just something about the cars, the fans, and the atmosphere that sets stock car racing apart from any other sporting event I have attended. The weather in Talladega was absolutely perfect. Not too hot, not too cold.. but juuuusstt right.

After parking in the infield lot, we were met by our Nascar representative, John McMullin Jr. He walked us around pit row and gave us a brief tour of the place, explaining that today was more about qualifying, and that a tour on Sunday would probably be more interesting.

However, the Busch series race took place that afternoon and proved to be a lot more exciting than I expected. Kyle Busch lost control of his car around lap 27, and began to flip end over end once his car hit the infield. He seemed to have escaped pretty unscathed despite the horrific crash, and was taken to the infield medic for evaluation and observation.

Saturday night was spent mostly choreographing my girls’ appearance for the next day. Their driver got lost, I was a bigger wreck than Busch’s car, and the girls were bickering. Sigh. No wonder the Spice Girls broke up. By the end of the night though, everyone was settled into their room, fed, and all was right with the world. And I… finally got more than an hour’s worth of sleep.

We left the hotel around 8 in the morning on Sunday.. and got to the track at 8. Ah.. the beauty of time travel. No seriously. We gained an hour crossing over the Alabama border. This proved helpful for the morning drive, and less amusing for the trip back.

Once we reached the track, my guests and I were greeted by the Nascar folks, who scooped us up in the pace car, and took us around the track at speeds I have never before been in my life.. well, not that my parents know of anyway. 150 mph on a straightaway would probably be intimidating enough, but put the same car, with the same speed on a 30-some-odd-degree embankment, and you better hope your Pampers can handle it.

The ride around the track was a pure adrenaline rush. The stands, the walls, and the infield were a blur of color. IT.. was awesome. No wonder Ricky Bobby liked going fast.

After my pace car experience I headed over to the midway to check on my girls. Decked out in their racing outfits, they stood among a huge crowd of people in line to take pictures with them. They politely posed for pictures all morning with people, and totally ate up the Nascar experience. While at the midway, I made my costume change so that I could visit the pits. They are pretty strict about dress code, something about safety.. Personally, I just think they didn’t want my airbags going off and causing a wreck. My new shirt was black.. with simple white letters across the front that said..

Boogity

Boogity

Boogity

Now, I’m not quite sure what that means.. but it’s provocative.. and people seemed to really like it. (D. Waltrip used to say it before each race.. so much so it became his trademark.)

I got to walk through the pits and check out the team’s trailers and such. The DuPont pit crew leader was nice enough to give me a tour of their trailer. Now, looks can be quite deceiving. Despite appearances, these trailers are actually quite roomy. They not only have a changing area for the crew, and a lounge for the driver… but also house two cars in a higher panel above. So, they are far from roughing it. Waking through the trailer and squeezing past the pit crew members that are in the process of changing for the day’s race, we are led to the trailers lounge. There sitting in the corner of the lounge was none other than Jeff Gordon. If Nascar were the NBA, Jeff Gordon would be its Michael Jordan… or something of the sort. Mr. Gordon was super polite and hospitable, and surprisingly relaxed considering he had a race in a mere few hours. We thanked him for his hospitality and left him to his pre race rituals.

We also got to attend the drivers’ meetings, which was pretty interesting even for someone who is just getting to know the sport. Unlike many other sports, Nascar drivers have actual say and input into the rules and dealings of the sport. They are encouraged to voice their opinions and comment on policies.

Next came driver introductions and award presentations. I had the honor of being able to present a check to Mr. Tony Stewart. Stewart has kicked up some major controversy in the Nascar circuit as of late, making comparisons to that of the WWE. He of course got the Nascar equivalent of when your dad took the belt to your ass as a kid when you back talk your mom or do something terrible. Though we only had a brief interaction, he made a few jokes and seemed like a pretty decent guy. Further analysis will be required.

Turned out… Sunday was a bad day to be Kyle Busch as well. Kid simply could not catch a break, wrecking his second car in as many days. And that’s sad.. because he is one of my dad’s faves.

We left the track in the late afternoon hours Sunday, having to make the drive back to Atlanta to catch the 8:30 back to Tampa… only to get on the 6 am to Los Angeles the next morning out of Orlando?.. Tired?... Confused?.. Yeah, so was I.

So apparently, I missed the huge celebration the people of Talladega threw for Mr. Gordon’s victory on Sunday. I heard there was a ton of beer.. sheesh.. well, it could have been worse. At least they were cans instead of kegs. Regardless, congrats to Jeff Gordon on another great victory.. and best of luck to all the drivers the rest of the season. Hopefully I will make it out to another race or two before it’s up.

Thanks for the great hospitality Nascar!!!... It was a truly unforgettable experience.