drawn to distraction

Saving Basil

2009-09-17T10:59:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I've been here. So sorry...

The main excuse I have is that my camera cord was missing and I had to get another one. But, that's really just an excuse...

Anyway,

by now you know it's the middle of September. Almost Rosh Hashanah. It's starting to really feel like Fall now, chilly at night and sunny during the day. Really Nice. But Summer is pretty much gone. I feel like a lot of us in that we didn't have much summer, only July and August, 'cause June was All Rain. :(

My basil plants are on their way out, too. Leggy and seedy, I've made some freezer packets of basil leaves like my father-in-law used to do for me. It takes a little while to do, but the leaves stay green, and you have little perfect size portions that you can slice into basil ribbons, or shred into whatever you want.

Just take some leaves, put them together, layering the leaves, like they're spooning.

Then, roll into little loaves, and rubber band together. Then, just freeze in a zip-lock bag, and they're ready when you need them.

Mad for Mimi

2009-08-30T11:58:00.000-07:00

Mimi Kirchner's dolls are absolutely beautiful.

Recently because of her amazing work, she has given me the inspiration to make my own dolls.

I never thought I would want to make dolls. I always painted, did mosaics, lots of crafts, and I actually thought people who made 'art dolls' were haughty and pretentious, but now I think they're underappreciated and extraordinary. Exploring so many art medium and techniques, these artists often combine wit, magic, whimsy, kitch, feminism, and relevance. The dolls or figures, become metaphors for the artistic id. They often combine sculpture, painting, sewing, and mixed media to tell inventive and imaginative stories through their creations.

Mimi's dolls are both playful and vintage-looking, familiar and exciting, so well crafted and designed, to me they are here and now, and always.

I hope I can summon some of my own creative juice to make my own dolls, and use the colors in my paint box that are me.

Mimi was featured on Etsy last week, Take a look.

my favorite things

2009-08-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

I can't find my camera cord, and I wanted to post some pictures, so Ill just make this a short post instead.

You know, I always thought that apartment buildings were kinda creepy with food odors in the hallways, and other stuff, but the aroma of food cooking is actually one of the things that I really like about my building.

The people who live here are so many different nationalities...Greek, Indian, Asian, Mexican, African American, West Indian, Spainish, Romanian, Italian, ....and more. And sometimes, when they're cooking, it smells so good in the hallways...really warm & spicy & homey. It happens at different times, and not everyday, but,

It's one of my favorite things about living here.

Moving to 119.

2009-08-12T20:17:00.000-07:00

So, we moved August 1st, & then I got the flu on August 2nd. That kinda put the damper on our new place for me, for a while. I was so sick I couldn't unpack, so now I'm staring at a lot of boxes, and they're staring back. I open one, look in, and close it back up. The only thing worse than packing, is unpacking.

One of my better ideas was borrowing a shopping cart from the supermarket. Asking the manager was so embarrassing, but it was such a winner. Since we were only moving upstairs, I knew I could load it up with clothes and food and stuff, and just go up in the elevator, and into the condo, and unpack it, without putting stuff into boxes.

not bad.

Rich stayed home one day to take care of me and help unpack , and wait for the cable guy. He was such a big help. I sent him to the drug store for immodium, toilet paper, chicken soup, and ginger ale...and he came home with it all, like a champ.

A big hassle about moving is calling everyone and changing addresses for my doctors, and all that crap. So, I'm gonna do that Friday. I think. The mail will keep

getting forwarded to our new place

for a month, and our phone is still the same number , so that's great.

This is the view from our balcony now, we're up higher, so that's ok, but it's noisier, 'cause now, 287 is within our sights.

So, I was gonna unpack this past weekend, but Jesse decided to come home for a visit with his bf Jason. He asked first, if it was not a good weekend to come, and of course, it wasn't , but I adore him, so of course, I said , No Problem. And they came, went to the beach, came back, brought pizza, saw friends, and I loved every minute.

And Joey loves Jess to death. After he left, Joey was so sad, he just laid around all day and moped.

sorry seems to be the hardest word

2009-08-11T19:24:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say ,"sorry" I have been away. We moved on the 1st, and on the 2nd I got the flu!

But not just the flu, the 'I can't move, or sleep, I'm keeping Richard up, cause I'm moaning all night 'flu. And it went on & on & on. so, just wanted to say I'm feeling better, got a ton of boxes to unpack. but I'll be back tomorrow with some better stuff. Have a good night y'all.

2009-07-31T08:01:00.001-07:00

Moving Day...minus 3 days and counting...

2009-07-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

So, we're moving on Saturday, and, even though its only upstairs in the same building, it seems like a huge deal anyway. Of course, it isn't. Considering that I already packed up a whole house last year and moved to a 1 bdroom apartment, this is a lateral move, and relatively easy. The condo we've been renting has sold, and we had the choice to stay til our lease was up (Oct.) or go now to a bigger one, upstairs, for the same price, for a year. Not much choice, really, but its cool.

I've been packing cartons all week, kitchen stuff, bathroom, & living room. All I have left is the bedroom, and the last day stuff we're using of the kitchen & bath. Not too bad. And today I went to the A & P, and asked the manager if I could borrow a shopping cart, and he said YES!

So, that will be great for just loading it up and taking it to the elevator and into the new place.

The new apartment is on the second floor, in the middle, so we're gonna be using the elevator, or walking up the stairs a few times a day. No biggie. Actually, more exercise!

And I'm thinking of other advantages now:

No one can look into the apartment, like on the first floor, so more privacy.
Still the Southern exposure that we like so much, sun all day in winter, shady in summer.
No more 'screaming mimi' neighbor next to us, ('though, not sure who is up there yet.)
Bigger living room, bigger walk-in closet in bedroom.
Still in the same building we like, in the back, not facing the parking lot.
We won't have to move in November, new yearly lease til next July.
The builder is moving us.
We're kinda doing the builder a favor, which can't hurt.

So, once we get up there, I'm sure there will be others, & I'll let you know when I know.

Gotta go pack some more boxes. Not sure how Joey will do, but he sure got used to the tiny apartment, so I'm not worried about him, he's adaptable. I guess we are, too.

So Disappointed

2009-07-24T06:23:00.000-07:00

As if everyone who doesn't live in New Jersey already believes our state is totally corrupt, now they have many more reasons. It's so disappointing that the mayors of 3 cities are on the take, but rabbis ? I know I'm very naive, and I'm not a religious person. In fact, I don't believe in organized religion at all. Too many rules, and too much hypocrisy. But, I thought rabbis were maybe above that.

Turns out I'm wrong. The head rabbis of Deal and Brooklyn have been caught laundering money and trafficking in human organs. UGH! I was actually kind-of a member of that Syrian community for a time, being married (first time) to a Syrian Jew from Deal. Never truly accepted, I did, however, learn a lot about their customs and lifestyle. They are an extremely close-knit group, not allowing others in, and protecting their own. This is why I am so surprised that one of their own 'ratted'.

The sting that the FBI arranged employed a SY (short for Syrian Jew) Real estate developer. He was arrested a few years ago for fraud, and obviously, he made a deal with the FBI to implicate the rabbis of Deal & Brooklyn, as well as the mayors of 3 major towns in NJ.

I understand that money is the goal for almost everyone. And most people in that SY Community do have a lot of money. But I am just saddened that these supposed men of g-d stooped so low, and fell so far. It makes me kinda sick.

And it sure doesn't help our reputation in New Jersey, at all.

Tubing On the Delaware River or How I spent my 55th Birthday!

2009-07-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

did you ever hear the song, "down a lazy river..." ? well, that's exactly what my sister* and I did yesterday! We went tubing down the Delaware River which divides NJ & PA. It was the most idyllic, relaxing, fun time I've had , pretty much EVER. (or at least as long as I can remember.)

The weather was Perfect. Like the sun was out, but not all the time, so we didn't get burnt like toast. The water was cool, & refreshing, not too cold or too hot. We had 2 big,blue tubes that we tied together (thanks Joan), & floated our way down the 5.5 miles of open river. It's actually pretty comfy with your behind stuck in a tube, legs hanging over the side, & arms flapping & paddling. yeah, it is. really. It's maybe a little unnerving wondering whether some turtle or something is gonna bite your tush. But we laughed so hard I just about peed myself, and who would've known if I did? Stopping once during the trip down the river, we made our way over to the lunch spot, to get our 2 hot dogs, a frozen milky way bar, & a lemonade! also, Perfect.

The only thing we didn't have was a camera! Because you can't take anything that would get wet, & we didn't have a waterproof camera. So, in honor of my birthday trip, here is a photo of the Glorious Queens of the Delaware River Tubing Society of 2, (OK, its from last Christmas, but we still look just as good.)

and of course I picked up a couple of the famous Delaware River stones,

so see...we really did go there!

* (I've stopped calling Lynn my sister-in-law, and call her my sister now, 'cause I think after you have a s-i-l for over 40!years, you can drop the In Law part.)

Exodus

2009-07-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

On Friday I went to my doctor's office in Hazlet. I have arthritis in my feet,(I know, too much information, sorry,) and once in a while I get a shot. It sounds awful, but it doesn't hurt at all, and then I can walk with no pain for a few months,at least. Anyway, as I was driving down the shore, I realized that it was a Friday, in the summer, on a gorgeous day,with the forecast of a perfect weather weekend. It was the weekend Exodus of the NYC, and North Jersey, to the various beaches of the Jersey Shores. OY! the thought of the summer, Friday, Parkway traffic alone is enough to make me go Totally out of my way to get somewhere...but, actually, it wasn't bad at all. Maybe I just missed it, or it was yet to come, but I slipped through and had a pleasant ride down.

from the rt35 bridge to the driscoll bridge

On the trip back, I decided to take Rt.35 back. When I was in Real Estate, I used to like to drive up coast along the different shore towns, from Loch Arbor, to Long Branch, to Fair Haven, to Rumson, to Sea Bright, to Highlands, to Atlantic Highlands, to Keyport, and on up. I'd look at the houses for sale, and fantasize in which one I would live, if I had the money to buy one. I used to go in and see lots of them too, and drag Rich or the kids along too. I guess you could call it my Obsession!, 'cause at that time, if you were an agent, you had a universal lock-box key that could open any house on the market, and go in and see it. So, I would 'preview' them...& I would actually take customers to some of these houses, and I even sold 1 or 2 of them.

We saw a lot of really great houses, most of them near the beach or river,and I learned about some great towns too. Isaac went to high school on Sandy Hook too, so taking him to school was always a fun trip for me too,about 1/2 hour from home and right out to the tip of NJ!
Maybe in a later post I will go take some pictures of the houses and towns I liked the best.

So, one of these towns was Lawrence Harbor. It's just a kinda dinky,shore-y,town, with little bungalow houses. Not much of a town. The street that faces a HUGE bay that leads to New York is called Shoreline Circle. Back then, you could buy a little house for about $100K! But, I always got talked out of it by the kids, and my dh, because they didn't want to live there. That happened a lot, me getting talked out of houses, and some of them (like the ones we saw in Loch Arbor, or Allenhurst,) are worth millions now.

million-dollar view at shoreline circle.

Guess you can't cry over spilled milk, or lost houses. But, sometimes, you can pout. :-d

2009-07-10T20:52:00.001-07:00

Swimming in the Raritan River (no, not me.)

2009-07-09T10:14:00.000-07:00

There were only 2 dogs at the dog park the other day. I think they were actually bored. So, we took Joey over to the other side of the park, and he had much more fun taking a swim. :-)

movin' on up!

2009-07-07T12:30:00.001-07:00

Well, It seems like we're moving again! I know, I know! Twice in one year is crazy!

For a long time, when we lived in the cabin, I wanted to move. I used to bug Rich about it all the time... I guess I wasn't too happy there. I mean, it was a GREAT house, full of charm and cozy as hell. But, in all the time we lived there, which was 10 years, I never felt like it was our 'forever home.' Like, I kinda felt like we were the caretakers of the cabin...keeping it nice until the next owners.

So, I wanted to sell it and move, but Rich doesn't take to change easily , and it took me a while, and then, all of a sudden, we sold it! , amazingly enough, in the toughest market ever! Literally! It was rough leaving our friends, and the kids were upset too.

And so, we moved into this tiny condo, so we could be near Rich's job, and it's cool...but I know eventually we'll buy another house, somewhere, and maybe that will be our forever home.

So, I'm checking out towns in the area, somewhat, but I still don't think it's the best time to buy, I think prices will come down a bit more. And we like living here. Edison is so convenient to everything, I can get to Wegmans, or Menlo, or the Turnpike in 5 minutes. And we've made friends here too. And we're near our brother and sister, who we enjoy being with.

Anyway, back to the point. We're moving! again! But this time, it's only upstairs in the building we already live in. The builder called Rich and asked it we could move upstairs to #119, it's a little bit bigger, and for the same price as here. Our lease is up 3 months, anyway, and we do like it here, so we said OK, if they'll move us. He was hesitant , but I know they have a buyer for our unit, so I think he thought about it (for like 2 minutes!) and said we could have 2 of his guys help us move. So, Deal Done.

The only snag is , we have to move on August 1st! Anyhoo....it's gonna be alot of packing for a few days, and then we'll be upstairs, right off the elevator. So, we'll miss our ground floor unit, right by the side door, but upstairs has it's advantages too. We can leave our windows and sliding door open, can't do that downstairs. And I love the kitchen cabinets, especially the cabinet I keep my pots and pans in, it swivels out, and for the first time ever, I don't have a lot of clanging of pots to get to them.

I guess when you rent a condo, there's always that chance that they'll sell it and you have to move. But the condo is kinda nicer than the apartments I've seen. It's new. And apartments don't usually take dogs the size of Joey. And I have a W/D, which I use daily, not usually included in a regular apartment. And my patio is light and cheery.

So, that's the story. And, maybe it's for the best, hope so. Things sometimes do have a way of working out.

The High Line

2009-07-05T12:19:00.000-07:00

Friday was an exceptional day. I've been wanting to see the High Line since it opened a few weeks ago. It is an old, abandoned elevated train track that has been restored and made into a walkway/park for the public. They did it 'au natural', preferring to keep it rough & rusty, with wildflowers, instead of shiny and new. There are benches and bleachers and plenty of places to stop and admire the views of the Hudson, NJ, and beyond. It's in the meatpacking district, with lots of cool new buildings alongside it, and tony shops and eateries below.

So, I met up with Isaac and Nadine in Jersey City,at his condo, and we took the Path Train from Journal Square, into the city. It was sunny and breezy, just perfect. We walked the whole High Line, which took a while. It was a wonderful day to stroll along and talk, and just Be in the present.

When we were done, we stopped for refreshing sangrias, went shopping at Earnest Sewn and Rag & Bone, and ate sushi at sushisamba. I had so much fun, I love hanging out with them, they're adorable.

I've got some photos, so I'll post a few here now, and then some more in another post. The building in the second photo is the new Frank Gehry one. And the one with the staircase coming up thru it is the Standard Hotel.

the Frank Gehry building

the view west to nj

at the bottom of the Standard Hotel

more words

2009-07-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

This morning, in the car, I was listening to the Brian Lehrer show on WNYC Public Radio, (it was a re-run,) and the topic was words and/or sayings we are sick of hearing. The band, They Might Be Giants was on, and they have a list of Banned words...

Don't Say That, Literally

Friday, May 29, 2009

John Flansburgh of the band They Might Be Giants discusses the running list the band keeps of "things we can no longer say." (a few examples: "my bad" "don't go there" "one hundred and ten percent" and "voted off the island"...

so, without further ado, here is some of their list:

It is what it is

My bad

I'm just sayin'

Literally

Its all good

No worries

Voted off the island

OMG

F--in

24/7

Same ol, same ol

Pushing the envelope

With all due respect

Outside the box

WTF

Thrown under the bus

No brainer

A hundred and ten percent

No problem

Amazing

LOL

Dude

Don't go there

Long story short

and one of my favorites,

You go girl

And while I do often enjoy saying many of these words & expressions, I will try to refrain from saying a few of them, notably..."No Problemo."

movie weekend

2009-06-28T14:04:00.000-07:00

Well, I hope you all had a great weekend, it was beautiful, sunny and Hot here! Of course, we were mostly inside, mostly.

Poor Richard's (not almanac)... Back was out, and he really needed to just Veg., rest, read, and watch Tv....but, since I didn't feel like watching 24 hours of Sci-Fi TV, I decided to get some Redbox dvds.

So, I got 4.

1.) The Day the Earth Stood Still, with Keanu Reeves. Totally sucked, I knew it would, but Rich wanted to watch it anyway, so I got it for him...he said it was ok, a little boring. The original was a masterpiece, why do they always mess with perfection? Klatu Verada Nickto.

2.)Revolutionary Road. This one we both liked, although it was a little slow at times. I loved the 50's style sets, cars, & shots of NYC. Leonardo DiCaprio & Kate Winslet were excellent & charming together. Their 'fragile harmony' of being 50's suburbanites, the perfect couple on the outside and hopelessly unhappy inside is fractured, and all along you know that something is not gonna end happy. To that end, it reminds me that women absolutely did not have the same choices as we do today, not the same anything. People thought they were crazy if they wanted a life beyond wife & mother, and they were recommended to see psychiatrists. Young women today (some of the ones I know,) take these changes & choices for granted, 'cause they never knew any other way, but seeing this might open their eyes a little, maybe.

I really think it is a must-see, but not at all a feel happy movie.

3.) Defiance. First of all, let me just say, "Daniel Craig."

And then, Liev Schreiber. Their 2 hulky personas fill the screen. So, even if the movie was not great, (which is not true, it is great,) you've got these 2 wonderful actors, acting their hearts out. Tons of intense drama, 'heavy hitting action', and a TRUE Story make it amazing, historically relevant, & empowering. We loved it, even if there was a lot of crying going on, on my part.

4.) Rachel Getting Married. Anne Hathaway is superb. Deep, full, sad, funny, desolate, & complex, with lots of realistic family angst, and rich music. Definitely See it, and get blown away.

Sorry this is so long, it was a weird choice of movies....mostly sad, some hopeful, but some great performances, and truly riveting stories.

Peace Out.

xxx jani

What's for dinner or How do I love Wegmans? let me count the ways...

2009-06-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

So, I've been cooking a lot lately. I mean, I always have cooked a lot, but sometimes it just seems like a lot of work for only 2 people. It took me a while to get used to making less food, 'cause I was still cooking for more than just me & Rich. But I'm better now, I just make a little more than I need, and then we have left-over night, or lunch.

While some of you know about Wegmans, for those who don't, it's a supermarket. But, it's really kinda special. Or, it makes you feel special when you shop there. It's not that the food is so great, or unique...I've been to Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, & other's like that. I mean it's the feeling.

When we first got our Wegmans, I was so enthralled the kids used to say I was a Wegman's cheerleader! But I'm better now. And I don't mean this to be an ad for them, just a head's up for a couple of good products.

The 2 I'm showing here are the Wegmans basting oil & Wegmans Pan Searing Flour. They come in smallish bottles, and are kinda pricey...but you don't use that much & they're so worth it. You can use them for chicken breasts, fish fillets, meat (like browning meat for a stew,) & veggies.

Last night I made scallops, so you just heat a little of the basting oil, lightly coat them with the flour & sear them for a few minutes, turn them over with tongs and let the other side do the same, then cook for about 5 minutes longer. The main trick is to NOT move them or touch them when they are searing. They get a great crust, and come out having the most 'scallopy' flavor ever! I've been making them like this for a while now, and they really come out tasty every time.

I made some creamy risotto & wilted spinach with balsamic glaze to go with them, & it was a totally delish meal (if I do say so myself! ( My final 'plating' doesn't look much like Top Chefs, but it's a start. :-)

for other recipes using this stuff, see the Wegmas site, Voila~!

http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/HomepageView?storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&langId=-1

Jerry's Artarama trip!

2009-06-24T09:06:00.000-07:00

I've been getting emails for Jerry's Artarama , a discount art supply store , for years. I just found out that they have an outlet store in NJ, and now that I moved up here, it's only about 35 minutes away, so yesterday I went!

I took the Garden State Parkway to Exit 145, then Route 280 West, to Exit 8A, then to Prospect Street in West Orange to the store! It was easy and Rt 280 is an amazing road, it's huge, lots of inclines and grades, kinda cutting thru some Huge Hills, and actually turns into Interstate Rt 80,which crosses the entire US! http://www.nycroads.com/roads/I-280_NJ/

Anyway, the store is great, if you love art stores, Like I do. So much fun, I can get really lost in these kind of stores, and there are not many of them left anymore, due to the giant crafty ones like Michaels. And,of course, I bought some stuff: a couple of sketch books, a few watercolor pencils, and the Derwent Intense Pencils I have been wanting to try. (plus a few more things. :-)

the Highway next door

2009-06-17T11:49:00.000-07:00

So, I live in a really busy area, Edison, NJ. It's in central NJ, near Raritan Center, a huge business hub. The condo I'm renting is about 100 yards from the New Jersey Turnpike, (at Exit 10,) and Route 287. Both roads are extremely busy, day and night, and are major highways in the state.

At first, I thought it would be annoying to live so close to those highways , because of the constant noise. But since the first day, I have not only NOT been bothered by it, but I kind-of enjoy it. I mean, it is a constant din of noise, but I don't hear it inside, and from inside sometimes it sounds like rolling thunder at night, which I really like. Also, it's like a white noise background, which I also like, because I have tinitus, (ringing in the ears,) and I listen to ocean sounds to sleep to anyway.

During the winter, you could see the trucks and the roads, but now, the trees are full, and you can't see it, even though you can still hear it, of course.

I also like it because to me, it represents life going on & on & on always the same...

...even though the economy is crap, the government is basically corrupt, rising crime, general life chaos. Companies need their stuff delivered, markets need their food, & the trucks keep running.

Here is a little idea of what it's like. This was shot today, around 2 PM. I'm gonna film it at other times too, like at night, and in the morning. Monday it was Really Loud, and Richard (my dh) says it was because after the weekend, there are a lot of deliveries to be made.

Call me crazy but I like trucks. I like truck drivers too. Well, especially one.

reasons to be cheerful

2009-06-16T07:21:00.000-07:00

To explain why I've started this blog ...

I want to really start doing my artwork more.

I don't know why I haven't. I'm not working, and I have all the time in the world to do it. Maybe that's why. I have a fine art degree, and was painting, regularly, about 20 years ago, around 1990. I was even teaching art classes with a friend.

I have plenty of materials. I have a great & supportive husband. I love him to death. and I have great grown-up kids , they don't need me, and I adore them beyond belief.

I know I was plenty depressed after my mom died. It was sudden and without warning..and we were best friends. Losing my parents was insanely hard for me. But, it's been 10 years, and I'm still here...waiting to start. So many ideas going nowhere.

After my mom died, I said I was gonna give myself a year or 2 to get my art career started. I rented a studio, but never got it together. That was over 7 years ago. I read a book about art and fear, and it was pretty spot on.

The only other thing I can blame this on is distraction and procrastination. And the internet of course, and total lack of discipline on my part.

Hence the title of this blog.

I used to believe that if I started something new, something bad would happen. I mean, It's happened before, many times...,

But, I did start something new, I Moved. and that's new. and It's a Big Thing. I moved from a big, 3 bdrm house, into a tiny 1bdm condo apt. And nothing bad happened. I actually love it.

I also used to think it was because I had so much crap that I couldn't get organized and find my stuff...and you know, feng shui says you can't work if you have clutter in your home.

So.......I took an online art class, and started drawing a bit.

And I'm putting all my art supplies out and organizing them.

So, THIS TIME I'm determined to do it.

I have several friends who are doing it, and selling their cool art stuff on eBay and Etsy.

I can do that. for sure.

Wish me luck.

Jessica Wesolek blog on commenting

2009-06-14T14:03:00.001-07:00

I took an online drawing class with Jessica Wesolek, a New Mexican artist. It was a good refresher for me, and I actually started drawing a lot, which is something I wasn't doing,and missing it. She also has a blog, Cre8it.com , and has many good articles and ideas for drawing, and lots of interesting products to try. I started using watercolor colored pencils because of this class & I am loving them. And I started drawing in a moleskine...which is neat...She has a jounaling class that I heard is excellent.

The other day, she wrote about commenting on other people's blogs. It was such an insightful blog, I wanted to copy it and share it. I read some pretty cool blogs, usually a few times a week, other's only once in a while....but I've made some really good friends from them, and I love reading them. I do usually comment, if I have something to say, which, of course, is often. so, without further ado....

Her blog site is : http://web.me.com/jwesolek/cre8it/Blog/Blog.html

my facebook name

2009-06-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

Today, you can pick a facebook name, so I picked janihayes , of course. Here's a link to it, for anyone who's curious.

http://www.facebook.com/janihayes

and here's a photo of yours truly for y'all.

have an excellent day.

Words I like

2009-06-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I read articles and some words or phrases just jump out...here are some from a New York Magazine, and some others that I was thinking about naming this blog.

I have a LiveJournal blog, called 'allilane', but I'd like to be able to blog to other folks, so I'm starting this one. I'll try to keep it short, but I kinda feel like I hit on some trends before they become mainstream. I find a lot of cool sites, and interesting, unrelated stuff that I will post here.

Enjoy and feel free to share.

mysteries of creativity

jani's escape

streetsblog (a reference to a blog)

lifehacking ......... 43folders.com (a blog)

free-associative wandering

judicious unmindfulness

irresponsible responsibility

Being Jani

Up Your Kazoo

Focus is a paradox

attentional shift

new techno-cognitive nomadism

restlessness

the advantage of restlessness

neuroplasticity

flitting

peripheral vision

focused distraction