Hi, me again. It’s been a while! Honestly this whole “living through a global pandemic” thing has seriously depleted my mental capacity for writing and reading and even actually thinking about things but stuff in general has started to “ramp up” again so let’s give this a try.
I got a car! It’s not brand new, it’s my parents’ old car which they sold to me for free because they are the greatest parents ever and I’m a spoiled piece of shit. But it’s my car! The official paperwork says so! It’s a 2009 Suzuki SX4.
Her name is Daisy.
I haven’t had my own car since 2006, when I hydroplaned and crashed my car into the median on 78 West near Harrisburg, PA. The car was “totaled” and then I had no car. It was a tough time because I felt like I NEEDED a car and was lost without one. I had a panic attack at a car dealership when we were getting a car for my 17 year old sister because I thought about how I didn’t have a car and like what was I going to DO?! It was a dark time.
In January 2008 I moved to the Heights in Jersey City and started my commuting to work in Manhattan duties and to my surprise and delight I DID NOT NEED A CAR AT ALL. Like it was mind-blowing, how little I needed a car. Growing up in a rural area where you needed to drive everywhere made me feel like you couldn’t get anywhere without one. But in “the city” we have a pretty robust network of public transportation, ever heard of it? I could get to work AND fun and back home again all on the PATH train. And if I wanted to go home-home, I could take NJTransit or the bus. The bus sucks but yes it is available.
And so it went for many years, until 3 years ago when I moved to The Hill and I was like holy shit I’m so far from everything and I don’t have laundry in my building and I might actually lose my mind. But before I lost my mind I noticed that when people came to visit or even if I just looked out the window, 95% of the time there were parking spots available. “Parking” was one of my biggest concerns when considering have a car in “the city” and it seemed like on The Hill there were always parking spaces close to my house (knock on wood, now they’ll disappear ugh).
So I figured it was time to get a car. My parents had an old one they weren’t using and Daisy was just sitting there sulking and collecting a layer of pollen all over her from the trees she was parked under and she needed a new human friend and it worked out perfectly!
My sister and my brother-in-law also played a part in this beautiful story by helping to get her checked out, fixed up, and road ready. AND I AM BEYOND GRATEFUL.
Now I use Daisy to do super fun shit like get groceries…
Go on hikes…
And drop off and pick up laundry.
I will say that my favorite thing to do is the grocery thing. Like it is so gratifying to not have to worry about the weight of the groceries you’re getting, like “Will I be able to carry them?” because you DON’T have to carry them until you get home and you can take your time bringing them all inside and up the stairs and it is just the best. I can’t recommend it enough.
Hiking is fun too, like really freaking fun, but I’ll tell you about that another day.
Anyway good to see you again and maybe if you need a ride somewhere I’ll give you one.
It took me so long to write about this and I know I keep saying that and I’m truly sorry but this is my recap of Walls to Smalls at Deep Space Gallery.
Walls to Smalls is a show featuring art from street artists that usually get their art on using a “wall” as their canvas but for this show they did art on smaller pieces of material that then went onto a wall for display. Walls and smalls, smalls and walls.
The cycle continues.
As always, it’s a great show! And it’s there for a few weeks so you have plenty of time to check it out. DON’T SLEEP, as they say.
Let’s talk about the art.
Duel ris had pieces that looked like they were made with sharpie in a notebook and I LOVE THAT. It really makes me excited that real art can be made with such simple tools. Tools that are fully available to me and everyone but only a special person, aka a person with a special skill, aka an ARTIST, could make art this nice with two very simple tools.
Please continue to blow my mind, thx.
Blusterone had work that showed scenes from the subway and it made me think about how I really haven’t gone on the subway in a REALLY LONG time. Like maybe not since last summer? The PATH train sure, but not the subway. Weird.
We stared at these Mustart pieces for a while and tried to pick out all the different elements we could see. It was fun to take the time to really stare and study.
Most importantly we saw a uterus.
Beyond that, we all were pretty pumped about the chains turning into birds.
Rubicon – do we know the people depicted here? These paintings made me think I knew the people in them because a few weeks ago I saw the artist post a call for old Polaroids that he would then paint. I don’t know why that made me think I knew them but the man especially looked really familiar.
This piece by TDee is a peacock, which is a kind of bird so I love it, duh.
AND IT IS SO BRILLIANTLY BLUE😍
This piece by Boogierez reminded me of Sara Fasolin, an artist I admire on Instagram. In my notes I referred to this as “bird/teeth Instagram thing.” Because this lady ALSO has teeth on her in a weird place. Teeth in weird places is so creepy but in a fun scary way.
Ntel had this fun piece with a bright green background and PINK FROGS. Pink animals? Can’t go wrong.
Optimo almost always has this top hat guy around but this time he was IN GOOOOOLD. And I loooove goooold.
Chris RWK’s pieces had this friendly looking little robot and I love this friendly looking little robot.
Of course the one with the little red bird is my fav.
It’s essential that we befriend the robots so we’re on their team when they become our overlords.
Another favorite recurring character is this guy by Keith VanPelt. This time around I really loved the one with a feather in his hat. Because feathers are from birds.
Barc The Dog I’ve never seen before but LOVE the dog and its shark/dino teeth. It’s very cartoon-ish and cartoons have my heart forever.
Boogierez had the only photos in the show and photos are hard to make special, in my opinion. Especially because everyone has the ability to take photos at their fingertips. But these are special! They stand out.
That’s not even everyone! There are a ton of artists in this show. These are just some of my personal favs but I think you should go and check it out to see what YOU like. Don’t take MY word for it, I’m an amateur.
Walls to Smalls is at Deep Space Gallery for the next few weeks. You can DM them on Instagram to make an appointment!
On Saturday I was VERY hungover from a wedding I went to Friday evening (weddings are back!) But I somehow managed to drag myself out of bed and onto my boyfriend’s scooter and made it to Canco Park for the Jersey City Women’s Collaborative summer clothing swap.
First of all, Canco Park is awesome. WHY HAVE I NEVER BEEN TO CANCO PARK, YOU GUYS? WHO EVEN AM I?
Now that I’ve been, I have to go back on a sunny day, because they had a TON of flowers…I think it may be like, their “thing.” I also swear I saw a goldfinch but I could have just imagined it because a little boy kept talking to me and I felt awkward and was looking for more things to have a conversation with him about because he was a person deserving of my attention.
I really hope it was really there.
Beyond that it was the perfect place for a summer clothing swap AND a self-serve tie dye station with gentle expert “try dye” guidance from Kiki Buccini!
When I arrived they had already set up a small area of the park with clothes that gals had brought with them to swap. It was a little grove of trees surrounded by a kind of railing thing that was great for hanging clothes on! They also had some tables and clothing racks there but I was really impressed by the use of the space that was already there.
I LOVE A GOOD USE OF SPACE.
Just like at their swap in January, we took timed turns picking out new items and it was all very organized and nothing scary or competitive happened. Anytime I go anywhere my biggest fear is that something competitive will happen.
Please no.
Unlike the other swap, we didn’t drop off our items in the days/weeks before and instead brought them with us on the day of. I was a little worried that it could get confusing or overwhelming but it didn’t at all! Again, very well organized. I’m always impressed with folks that pull off full-on fun and relaxing events with ease and make the whole thing look effortless. I know it’s not! But I applaud their ability to make it look easy and also make it fun.
FUN FUN FUN!
Speaking of fun I got a TON of stuff that I love including but not limited to: 3 pairs of dangly earrings, a black Tahari suit (like what do I even need a suit for? BUT I LOVE IT), some sundresses, and a lace LBD. I love these swaps. I LOVE THEM. Just because I love shopping so incredibly much and it is 100% a problem and I definitely need shopping-specific therapy and/or support groups to stop myself, but this gives me a shopping experience without shopping! Like I’m not spending any money besides the money that I have already spent on the clothes I brought with me that I don’t want anymore!
It seems like the perfect activity for women like myself, really.
Another perfect activity for me is tie-dyeing because it is FUN and COLORFUL. We were instructed to bring whites we wanted to dye and I brought all kinds of whites except for the one white (shirt) I REALLY WANTED TO TIE DYE that I got from The Grind at the Jersey City Mural Festival.
The white that didn’t make it.
Nay, that particular white was left at home. I was pissed.
But I did have a grand time dyeing the whites that I managed to remember and for that I am forever grateful. Kiki walked us through how to tie dye and went over some different patterns, and then it was time to party! Well, the “wear gloves and carefully dye stuff on a tarp so as not to mess up Canco Park” kind of party.
It was an ebullient afternoon and I can’t wait for another swap. I’ll start looking for old clothes now. I also still have some whites to tie dye so hopefully that comes up again. If not I might do my own tie dye activity, I’ll let you know!
Last night we greatly enjoyed a wine tasting with Lourdes of the Vine at lil dove cafe in the Jersey City Heights. I had it planned as a special date night and it didn’t disappoint with its special-ness.
Full disclosure, every time I go to a wine tasting I’m drunk beforehand or I get too drunk during and forget everything. I’ve even gone on a wine-tasting only vacation and didn’t learn a single thing.
But this one I remember some things from!
We were seated in the backyard kind of class-room style facing the front FOR INSTRUCTION and I made us sit in the front row because we sit in the front row in this family. Because I’m deaf and can’t hear in the back…but I also like being in the front and raising my hand and volunteering for things. I’m basically an ideal audience member.
lil dove cafe’s backyard is so peaceful and lovely and there were lights and trees and art and a water dispenser to the side to promote hydration. And wine!
There was a cute little wine and pairing items menu and a cool placemat thing that I didn’t fully understand and still don’t but respect it as a system.
After we sat down they immediately brought out the BIGGEST AND MOST ALLURING CHARCUTERIE BOARD OF ALL TIME. I mean, it was MIND BLOWING. LIKE WOW.
We started to ravenously gobble it right away but then were embarrased to realize we were probably supposed to save it for the pairing/tasting. So we stopped eating it but by the end of the night we hadn’t eaten it all but we couldn’t eat anymore and I still feel guilty about that.
But the wine! It was “natural” wine, which seems to be defined in some capacity by “farming that doesn’t f**k over everything else on the planet.” And it was good! The first one we tasted was Lambrusco and of course that’s a fav because it’s the perfect pizza wine.
For the second wine Lourdes really broke down the tasting process and I learned a TON I am NOT JOKING. She spoke a lot about “sensory memory,” like using senses and things you’ve sensed before and apply that to the new current thing you are sensing. And I loved that!
It turns out that accessing old sensory experiences to interpret new sensory experiences in your brain is a great and mind blowing idea. I never thought of it that way and it makes me understand wine tasting better as an an activity.
When people smell wine and swirl it around and look at the color and have opinions and conversations about it based on their senses…I pretty much have thought that was bullshit for a long time. Maybe not bullshit but like, “I don’t understand how it works so it’s not for me.” But last night I felt like i found some understanding! Like something just finally clicked, between wine and I. The smells and tastes made sense. I was killin it.
The sensory memory thing really got me, you guys.
Lourdes also reminded us that when the wine is first poured – don’t drink it right away! “Take a moment with the wine. Namaste with the wine.” In the past I have always gulped all of mine before we even talk about it and then I have nothing to test out. So I believe this is probably a good thing for me to remember and I’ll be a better wine taster in the future.
Hi hello just a quick recap of the Jersey City Mural Festival, 2021. It was the hottest day in the history of time and I didn’t even do my hair or makeup and I got incredibly sweaty but it was OKAY because we were among art and that’s what it’s all about.
Tools of the trade.
I would have loved to go to the opening night event on Friday at &co, but it started at 6:30pm and I had a work call until 7.
So rude.
The opening night event was an artist talk with Ron English and I just know it was great because my friends’ Instagram stories said so. Many know him as the “Godfather of Street Art” and that is pretty badass. I would have loved to learn more about Ron in person but all I have is this Wiki article and that’s all I will provide to you.
Deal with it.
The article says he was born in Decatur, like the Sufjan Stevens song, so I’ll give you that too. I hope it softens the blow of the horrified outrage felt over me not being able to attend the artist talk. (it’s a fav)
Moving past that, the actual mural festival was on Saturday and Sunday. There were things to see in a few different spots around town, but I was only able to make it to the Downtown area, and I’m sorry. I know that’s rude and unforgivable.
The Jersey City Mural Festival was held under a bridge/overpass area and maybe that seems weird at first glance but it was so hot and sunny out and DUSOO (“Down Under the 78/139 Overpass”) was protected from the sun’s harsh rays and pretty cool in temperature like a basement. So like, GREAT IDEA EVERYONE.
As we entered the festival we had to sign in for contact tracing and we were asked to wear our masks. The end of mask time is upon us but we went out with a bang, rocking masks on our sweaty-ass faces at this fest.
It was the right thing to do.
It’s worth noting that going into it I didn’t realize the artists would be art-ing BEFORE OUR VERY EYES! I guess I just thought the stuff would all be painted already and there would be beer there and we’d all hang out and cheers like, “To murals!” And look at stuff and then go home.
But that wasn’t it at all! The artists were THERE and they were painting AS THE FESTIVAL and it was AWESOME. They had all these fun kinda…lifty trucks(?)…that had platforms on them and they were extended into the air and they were painting from there.
Lifty truck, in repose.
Some artists were also using old fashioned ladders and others were simply standing on tiptoe and I respect that because I can’t ever reach anything and am constantly forced to stand on tiptoe.
I should have taken more pics and learned a little more but I was kind of enjoying taking it all in with my pals and I don’t think I should be in trouble with myself for that so I forgive me.
With that being said I just want you to know that this is by no means a full, comprehensive report of the Jersey City Mural Festival. I was there for 45 minutes. I’m just going to share a couple of things I liked and maybe you’ll like them too.
I really loved this octopus by Pawn. LOOK AT ITS EYE. There’s something with animals when you can really see their eye(s) and look into them and see their animal feelings on a basic primal level and I don’t know animal eyes always take me to A PLACE. I know this is a painting and it has no feelings. It’s just the SUGGESTION of feelings, to me. And the colors are beautiful.
I also really liked the tentacles.
I believe this painting by Keith Murray is of goldfinches, the NJ state bird. If it’s not, oh well. At least the picture has an NJ state chair (RU RAH-RAH!). But I do love birds. And NJ. Like a lot.
Joe Waks is already a fav of mine from Deep Space shows and I really love the yellow and the rainbow colored rockin polka dots of all this. Sorry it’s not that great of a pic of the actual art, more of the work in progress. And the lifty truck!
LIFTY TRUCK 4EVA.
Here’s another work in progress and lucky for him he did NOT have to stand on tiptoe.
The lady in a shell thing! Can’t go wrong! I do love this version by Ree Vilomar because the shell lady is holding a spray paint can and in the finished version the little naked angel baby Cupid things are flying over some graffiti…oh also with spray paint cans! Love it.
So, that’s it. That was my experience at the Jersey City Mural Festival. I loved it! Can’t wait for them to do it again. Let’s do it EVERYWHERE under EVERY OVERPASS. WHO’S COMIN WITH ME?!
My boyfriend has been bugging me to go spend the day at &co Jersey City. He thinks when I work at home I’m too alone and talk to the birds too much. We have full conversations in both human and bird so maybe I do. With this in mind, on a recent Friday I went to do my work at &co in Jersey City.
AND I LOVED IT.
It’s me. Loving it.
&co is a co-working space in the Silverman building on Montgomery and Grove St, by Kanibal! And Cool Vines! And Frankie! And Another Man’s Treasure! They’ve got a lot going on over there. I’ve been there before for an artist talk hosted by Deep Space Gallery, but never there to do actual work in the co-working space.
This place is amazing you guys. I felt like a rich person all day and honestly that’s the way I always want to feel. Like maybe someday I will be an actual rich person and not the actual poor person I am, but until then I have to make do with the experiences that make me feel like one. Faking it til I make it.
So a few weeks ago on Friday I was very LUCKY and <hashtagblessed> to have a FREE day pass and tour of the location. I think they probably offer this to anyone who is interested in trying it out but don’t quote me on that. I was really super pumped and picked out a cute outfit and wore makeup and everything.
Then I gathered all my work materials because the whole point of going there was to work, duh.
Backpack filled to the brim with my laptop, multiple pairs of headphones, chargers to charge everything, my tripod to take pics during my lunch break, my lunch, and my new fun water bottle I put cool stickers on, I entered this workday oasis prepared to be forever changed.
The friendly guy at the front desk took me on a tour and then it was time to get to work. Because &co Jersey City is a co-working space. For working.
There are a ton of little nooks and workspaces to use and I was kind of overwhelmed deciding which space to use first! I wanted to try everything so I made myself a little schedule in my notebook of the different spaces I wanted to try working in. It was very important to me to try them all because they were all so luxurious looking.
First things first, I needed to charge my phone and my computer, so I had to start out somewhere with enough outlets close by for that. It was a really pretty day and I’m obsessed with the outside so I really wanted to work there, but they don’t yet have outlets out there so I sat in one of the booths next to the kitchen area. There was a pretty intense outlet situation and I was immediately on my way to being fully charged.
Once my electronics were contentedly buzzing away, it was time to get some cold brew. I don’t know how you feel about cold brew BUT I REALLY LOVE COLD BREW. I haven’t been a big coffee person for my whole life, but within the past 7 or so years I have become increasingly dependent on caffeine and at this point it’s pretty serious. Luckily caffeine is a legal drug and at &co Jersey City they have it ON TAP for people to consume all day long, just for being there. And you can pour it yourself! You don’t even have to bother anyone!
I like my cold brew black so I excitedly filled a “Caffeine and Dreams” cup with ice and ran over to the tap to fill it. My excitement got the best of me as per usual and I spilled it everywhere, but don’t worry I cleaned it up. The cold brew at &co Jersey City is from Mod Cup and it is EVERYTHING. I took some notes in my notebook to prepare for this post and I’ll quote myself by saying, “I love cold brew. I love cold brew so much. I’m so excited to be here.”
So I work-work-worked away in this space for a couple of hours and enjoyed more and more cold brew. They also had cucumber water! OMG it was delicious. I drink so much more water when someone else is preparing the water. At home I have to put it through the filter and then refrigerate it for it to even taste good and it’s just exhausting. A fresh water supply I don’t have to put any effort into is probably the only thing I miss about working in an office.
Yes, yes that’s the only thing I miss about the office. (#teamnoofficeeveragain)
When I was fully charged up on caffeine and electricity I packed up my bag and headed outside to the terrace! I guess it’s called a “terrace”? It was the “outside office.”
AND IT WAS GREAT.
Luckily it was a beautiful day, and there are so many little beautiful spaces to enjoy outside. There are regular tables and chairs, lounge chairs, lounge couch type things, a table with an umbrella…the list goes on! I loved it out there!
I first settled in on a lounge couch with the umbrella over me because it was hard to see my computer screen in the bright beautiful sunshine. But soon the sun’s siren song seduced me into a giant comfy chair and I ripped off my shirt and adjusted the brightness on my computer screen and all was well.
It remains unclear if “tanning” is one of the intended activities for this outdoor area, but I will say I think they welcome it since nobody yelled at me to put my shirt back on. It’s important to multitask! I was tanning AND working!
It’s a beautiful thing.
After an hour or so outside in the sun all of my electronics started to explode so I had to put them away to cool down and it was time for a lunch break.
I grabbed the lunch I packed myself out of the adorable refrigerator in the adorable kitchen and went back outside to have a picnic and read for a bit. I took some pics and videos for social media during this time, because it’s always fun to take pictures of oneself in a new place! I know I can’t be the only person that enjoys that. I’m 100% sure that I am not.
During my hour-long work respite I also had the pleasure of investigating the mediation room.
IT WAS BEAUTIFUL.
I know I keep saying “beautiful” and I guess I need a thesaurus but like…that’s the word. I loved the colors and the textures and the vibes. There is a dream catcher!
And a hanging-from-the-ceiling-swingy-chair!
And velvet pillows!
Ugh I’m really such a sucker for velvet anything.
I spent about 10 minutes in there and it was so quiet and relaxing and lovely and when my phone alarm went off saying “BACK TO WORK, B*TCH” I felt refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the day.
After lunch I had to do some more charging so I set myself up in the quiet room (The Quiet Room?) at a desk.
As the name implies, the quiet room was very, very quiet. It felt very work-like, very professional, very “getting things done.” I hung out in there for a while and got some work done and got charged up.
THEN IT WAS BACK TO THE OUTSIDE.
The rest of my perfect day at &co was spent finishing up my work at a table under an umbrella in a comfy chair. I felt freakin fantastic.
At the end of the day some folks started to gather out on the terrace by the table for a wine and beer happy hour! In addition to the cold brew, &co Jersey City also has NJ Beer Co beer on tap. Around 1:30pm I did judge a man for coming outside with a giant glass of it, and I apologize for judging. That was cruel and unnecessary.
In addition to the wine and beer they had snacks! This particular week the snacks were from Wurstbar, and included their Mexican corn dogs WHICH I LOVE A LOT.
I chatted with some people although I’m not much of a chatter when it comes to strangers. STRANGER DANGER! But everyone was friendly and one gal even gave me a delicious cupcake she made so the chatting was worth it.
In the end I would 100% recommend a day, a month, or A LIFE at &co Jersey City to a friend. I loved it so much that I went back the following week. It was $25 for a day pass, and it was well worth it if you take into consideration the BEAUTIFUL workspaces, cold brew, access to the outdoors, beer, snackies, overall wonderfulness, etc. I forgot how much the other memberships cost but you can find them here.
Go check out &co in Jersey City! Or don’t, I’m not your mom.
What are pantry moths and who the hell do they think they are? The internet says they can be Indian meal moths, grain moths, flour moths, raisin moths, seed moths, tobacco moths, or almond moths. At least according to the chart below I came across when I Googled “types of pantry moths.” All I know is that they’re stupid dicks and I hate them.
It’s rare for me to talk shit on an animal and even more rare for me to want them dead, but I’ve had enough of these idiots. Why am I writing about this? I don’t know. Because it grosses me out and I hate it and I need to get it out there into the world. Maybe you have pantry moths too. I don’t know your life.
Pantry moths come inside your house as eggs or larvae INSIDE YOUR FOOD. I’m sorry to say it but they’re in there. We have a feeling these moved in with some birdseed we brought home when we first got our bird Elvis.
That was last spring.
I’ve been putting up with the moths since then because they kind of come and go. I don’t always notice them and there aren’t that many. Pet birds can also die from a number of normal household items in their environment so I was scared to even try any traps or pesticides out of fear that my avian children would drop dead.
Their lungs are delicate!
The pantry moths would fly around sometimes at night while we were watching TV and it was gross and weird and annoying and they are also hard to catch and smash. Like they fly around in an erratic pattern that makes no sense and they’re not even that fast but somehow they manage to evade your determined moth slap 80% of the time. I don’t believe science can explain this.
We also would sometimes see small larvae dangling and those just got smashed and trashed. Not even a chance at life for them. They actually really upset me, because at first I thought they were inchworms and I LOVE inchworms. They make me think of the summer and how they used to delicately dangle over our above ground pool when I was a kid. We would gently put them on our fingers and watch them do their little inching crawl, WHICH IS ADORABLE YOU GUYS.
But these were pantry moth larvae, not adorable inchworms.
AND NOW THEY’RE DEAD SO BYE.
The final straw came a few weeks ago when I wore I sweater I had only worn once and I noticed a hole in the shoulder. I thought that was strange but as the night went by I noticed more holes in the sweater and they were all about the same size and I was like WTF I wore this ONE TIME.
And finally I had a realization: IT WAS THE MOTHS. THE MOTHS HAD MESSED WITH MY CHERISHED WARDROBE IN MY SACRED CLOSET-ROOM AND THEY NEEDED TO BE ELIMINATED IMMEDIATELY.
Google actually said that moths that eat clothes and pantry moths are different so like I guess we have both in residence. Ugh.
But I think the traps I got are supposed to work for both. They have PHEROMONES that attract the male moths only but they fly into them and get stuck on them because they’re sticky and then they die. The females eventually die because they don’t live very long but without any males THEY CAN’T MAKE ANY MORE PANTRY MOTHS. And that’s what we want.
The traps advertise their “double potency and ALLURE” and that was making me giggle because that seems intense but as soon as I opened the sealed packages to set them up the moths CAME FLYING! They usually don’t come out in the morning and there were like 3 that literally came out of the woodwork and flapped around as if something had excited them.
It was the ALLURING PHEROMONES.
I don’t know if it was the males looking for females or the females LOOKING TO FIGHT rival females but no one got stuck in the trap…YET.
The traps were placed on the kitchen counter, in the pantry, and in my beloved closet-room. By this afternoon there was one dead moth in the pantry trap and I look forward to finding more as the days go by.
Hopefully one day the pantry moths will be eradicated. I’ll keep you posted.
For me, one of the (frankly…MANY) good things to come out of COVID was getting to meet some new JC gal pals via Jersey City Women’s Collaborative…via Zoom. It’s an awesome group of women and a perfect way to connect with other like-minded gals about the town. Everyone has some kind of cool business or expertise or talent or art or cause and some people have ALL OF THOSE THINGS BECAUSE THEY ARE SUPER HUMAN AND I SALUTE THEM. And this past weekend, it was time to actually meet some of them in person at a meditation in Lincoln Park!
But also a little nervous! In-person event etiquette is rusty for all and I didn’t realize COVID’s impact on my social skills at first but I do think that they have definitely suffered. I’m an extrovert in the sense that I’m loud and I’m out there and I need to suck the collective energy from other humans around me to survive, but I also kind of really don’t like people overall and I especially dislike strangers. I don’t love to make small talk. I also have a lot of difficulty hearing…LIKE A LOT…so I usually prefer the written word for interactions. Like if I message with you all the time on Instagram and then don’t really talk to you when I see you at a loud-ass bar or concert or workout class…that’s why. Like I literally CANNOT HEAR YOU and it is MENTALLY EXHAUSTING to try.
Sadly there is another element to my nervousness and it involves caring what other people think. I know…ew. So gross. And I don’t usually care what people think, I really do not. But in a situation where the whole GOAL is to try to make new friends/acquaintances and possibly locate the social jackpot that is a kindred-spirit, a small amount of care must go into considering the thoughts of others. Like really just a “read the room” approach is acceptable here but even that makes me nervous that I’ll do it wrong. Whew. Human-ing is just too much.
Enough about me because I want to tell you about this meditation in Lincoln Park! It was led by Jennifer Wai, Intuitive Consultant. She has an incredibly calming and thoughtful vibe and also has THE BEST HAIR. Not to take it THERE and make it about PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES, but…love her hair. When I arrived I looked across the park with her awesome hair in mind and when I spotted it I knew which group I should head toward!
This is a creepy photo I took because I didn’t want to be disruptive.
Okay but BEYOND THE HAIR she expertly led us through a really calming and relaxing meditation under a tree in Lincoln Park. We were invited to sit down or lay down and it was Sunday and I had my blanket and I was also very tired so I laid down on my back and looked up at the beautiful tree before closing my eyes.
IT FELT SO NICE.
She talked to us about using nature as a grounding force and how connecting with something alive can help us meditate. LOVE THAT. I personally avoided meditating for many years because I 1 – thought it was silly and 2 – thought I would suck at it. In the past few years I’ve been more open to it and have definitely seen real and valuable benefits, but the suggestion of using something alive/in nature to help in your meditation like COMPLETELY BLEW MY MIND. Which is what is ACTUALLY SILLY because I love nature and I’m always hanging out there anyway so I don’t know why I didn’t think of that.
Oops. Sry.
Jennifer played some music and guided us through the meditation and I will say again that it just felt so relaxing and nice. The park is beautiful right now, and the weather wasn’t perfect but it was good enough. It was SATISFACTORY. We all just relaxed and listened to her voice and connected with nature and when she told us it was done and to open our eyes I felt very warm and fuzzy and float-y.
Oooooo ya.
I SHOULD DO IT EVERY SUNDAY.
But the fun wasn’t over because we got up and headed across the park to do another exercise! I couldn’t wait to see what it was and we found out soon enough when we gathered in a circle in a grove of big ass trees.
We partnered up, and usually partner things make me feel weird. Like in dance classes if there is partner work I will go hide in the bathroom until the class is done learning that part because I don’t want to do it. But for this exercise I was able to partner with a gal I have met via Instagram and I felt like I already knew her and she wasn’t a scary stranger and that was great!
It’s worth pointing out that no one there was actually a scary stranger and I’m just a weirdo. This one’s on me.
After we found our partner, Jennifer passed out some neat little blindfolds and told us that we would be taking turns being blindfolded and led around by our partner to a particular tree. Our partner would also try to disorient us by spinning us around. We would then be expected to touch, smell, hear, etc the tree. Also, and this is my favorite part, we were instructed to “Ask the tree for information.” AND I FELT LIKE I HAD BEEN WAITING MY WHOLE LIFE TO BE GIVEN PERMISSION TO ASK A TREE FOR INFORMATION AND I COULD NOT CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT. After getting to know the tree we would be led back to our starting spot, take off the blindfold, and try to ID which tree around us we had just had a moment with.
Whoa.
I didn’t think we’d be able to do it! I went first as the Blindfolded, and my new pal guided me around. It was super weird to not be able to see and totally freaked me out…so that was tough. But I met my tree soon enough and I hugged it and explored its surface with my hands and smelled it and spoke to it and ASKED IT FOR INFORMATION. Then we did the whole thing again with my partner blindfolded and me guiding her.
And guess what? WE ALL FOUND OUR TREES. IT WAS NUTS. MY MIND WAS BLOWN.
My tree friend is in the middle! 💕
What a cool exercise! I kind of want to go back and make my friends or my mom or my boyfriend do it with me. She DID let us keep the blindfolds…
It was an outstanding and memorable event and a perfect way to spend a Sunday, so thank you very much Jennifer Wai and Jersey City Women’s Collaborative. I’m looking forward to the next event, a summer clothing swap at Canco Park 6/12 at 1pm. Maybe I’ll see ya there!
This weekend I went to Pushing Up the Daisies 2021 and it was everything I hoped for and more. I was seriously very excited about it which could have set me up for extreme disappointment but luckily it was great and no one was disappointed.
LOVIN IT.
Pushing Up the Daisies 2021 was held at the Historic Jersey City and Harsimus Cemetery. The event is always held there and it needs to always be held there or else it’s not Pushing Up the Daisies. Maybe it seems like an “odd venue” but I think it’s the best venue of all time. If I was dead and buried there I would be glad that living people paid to be there and came to party with me. It’s just the highest level of respect, wanting to party with someone. And showing up for that party. Even if they’re dead.
I wish the dogs were still there.
Last week I spent a lot of time thinking about and getting pumped for this event. I planned my outfit, my snacks, the ways I was going to entertain myself. It was my music festival for the summer, I guess. Since I don’t recognize or have any interest in any bands in the Gov Ball lineup anymore. I was mostly just excited about being outside and listening to live music. The outside world and bands playing music both make me really happy.
So I was there all day mostly alone. I laid on my beach blanket and wore a bathing suit because everywhere is the beach and I don’t care what anyone says about that unless they agree. It was a really, really nice day. The sun was so bright and warm. An impossibly perfect spring day.
IMPOSSIBLY. PERFECT.
Like so perfect that the thought of the possibility of more perfection in the future as the summer approaches makes it EVEN MORE PERFECT.
It was great. And the bands were great! GREAT GREAT GREAT.
First up was Sofia Oro. I thought she was super talented but what do I know, really? Either way I was entertained and she did awesome covers of Wicked Game by Chris Issak and Criminal by Fiona Apple. Also she was only 17!
Wow. What a way to start the day and it was only 1:30pm.
Sofia!👏🏻
Next up was Rockstar Racecar from Bloomfield, NJ. They were introduced as from Montclair but then they were like “Actually Bloomfield but no one cares about Bloomfield so we say ‘Montclair.'” I would like to submit that I DO care about Bloomfield and acknowledge that it is a different, separate place from Montclair. Thx.
I enjoyed them! The one guy had blue hair which is always fun. In my notes I wrote that they had a song about Coney Island and how much they like it and I personally hate Coney Island LIKE A LOT but I did like the song.
Then I got super into my snacks and taking pictures of myself and I stopped paying attention and taking notes for a while. The following bands performed during that time: Steel Press, Viktor.Digital, Pynkie 5, and Morningside Lane. Although I wasn’t FULLY paying attention at this point I do know that it was all enjoyable music and I would surely return to listen again.
Thinking a little bit harder about it I do fully remember Pynkie 5 because the gal was wearing THE CUTEST OUTFIT and if anyone ever tries to tell you that outfits don’t matter they are IDIOTS.
Then the clock struck 5 and it was time to transition from the day session into the night session.
My boyfjoined for the evening sesh and I was 💕👏🏻🤗
Puppy Pile started off the evening sesh, and I kind of remember what they were like but mostly I just got stuck on thinking about their name, Puppy Pile, and thinking about a pile of actual puppies. And this made me glad. So thank you, Puppy Pile.
Hudson City Rats were up next and they’re always fun. I enjoy their instruments and their vibe and their beards. Thank you for your service.
The CROWN JEWEL, if you will, of Pushing Up the Daisies 2021 was Jersey City’s own Desir Decir. Yay! Love them! LOVE THEM LOTS. Glad to see them back in the world! I’m glad to see everyone back in the world post COVID and they are part of and encompass everyone so good to see ya Desir Decir.
Going into the day I thought the last band was going to be The Jack Moves, who are also very fun. But then it wasn’t them and I was confused. Did I invent that The Jack Moves would be there in my mind? It wouldn’t have been the first time I invented something in my mind that simply wasn’t true. But I returned to @rockitdocket on Instagram to confirm and didn’t see them there but clicked over to @jcmusicscene and there they were tagged in a post on April 19 of this year promoting Pushing Up the Daisies. So I’m not crazy…well I am but at least not about THIS particular thing. Whew. Guess they just couldn’t make it. We’re all human, after all.
Anyway the last band ended up being Lapeche and I’m sorry but I was very tired and already at home by that point. It was a long day! I’m sure they were great though. Shout out to Lapeche, I’ll catch you at the next one.
BECAUSE COVID IS ALMOST OVER SO THERE WILL BE MORE, A TON OF “NEXT ONES” AND I CANNOT WAIT.
Pushing Up the Daisies 2021 was a great time and I think everyone there would agree. If they don’t we don’t need them.
I really didn’t take many pics of the show and only have silly ones of myself, like this. Sorry.
The cemetery looked great mostly because helpful local folks have been volunteering for “Wake and Rake” events on Saturday mornings for the past few weeks! They awoke and were raking and also doing other types of groundskeeping to really make it super nice for all of us.
Thanks everyone, you did a fantastic job with a valuable public service and I salute you.
YOU, yes YOU, can keep an eye out for future Wake and Rakes here. If they set more up I think I’m going to do it some Saturday soon so maybe I’ll see you there! Usually there are goats that trim the grass and maintain the grounds and I’m not sure what’s up with them so I guess people are the goats for now.
Thank you everyone for a lovely, sunny, snack filled day in the cemetery I can’t wait to do it again soon.
Even though it opened a couple of weeks ago and I NEGLECTED to write about it then, it’s still going on for a few days so let’s talk about Cat Aesthetics at Deep Space Gallery.
It’s great! It’s always great at Deep Space. And I always say I don’t write about stuff UNLESS it’s great because I don’t have time to be a dick. I only have time to be a dick to “the man” and I have to save my energy.
So, Cat Aesthetics! As I’m sure you imagined, it involves cats!
ALL OF THE ART IS CATS. Cats in many different forms by many different artists. I truly enjoyed this type of “theme” show. Like the shows always have a theme or a central IDEA of course, but this was like, “We’re doing a cat thing everyone please make cat stuff we will only accept cat art thx.”
I enlisted a few friends to come with me to the opening and we were late and I still feel bad about it (sorry). It was actually the first time I had friends to our apartment for like a “pre-game” (a tame adult one) and then we walked over there and I felt proud ours’ was the apartment close to a thing that everyone came to before the thing. It hasn’t been like that since I lived downtown and I missed it.
ANYWAY. IF YOU GO DON’T BE LATE IT IS RUDE.
The show was extra fun because it felt like the whole opening night vibe of the before COVID times is slowly returning. Social distancing and masks are still required, but it seems like the days of it being an actual party will be back soon, fingers crossed.
Here is the art!
I loved this cat hanging on a line outside the gallery, you could see it from the roof. Although I’m still not 100% clear on the meaning, to me one of the most interesting things to see around in an urban environment remains the pairs sneakers that hang from power lines. Like…WHO PUT THEM THERE AND WHY?! I don’t know, but I likes that this particular cat art visited that concept.
Because I came of age watching Chapelle’s Show, “Fuck Yo Couch” is still one of the funniest expressions of all time and this piece by Sarah Grace is no exception.
As you may know, anything anthropomorphic IS MY FAVORITE THING EVER so these fancy cats by Deming King Harriman really please me.
If you live in Jersey City and you aren’t aware of Hennessy the Liquor Store cat YOU HAVE SOME SELF REFLECTIVE WORK TO DO. Hennessy is a cute little tortoiseshell gal that prowls the aisles of a store simply called “Liquors” at 32 Coles St in Downtown. Go there, come back, tell me what you learned.
Okay, welcome back. Now that you’re familiar with the star of this work of art by Carolyn Jao, you’ll be glad to know that all of these sold out on like the first night. Maybe not glad, because maybe you wanted one (I did), but proud of our girl Hennessy nonetheless. A LADY AND A LEGEND.
I really enjoyed these doodle-looking works by Kyle Confehr. Basically if I see something that looks simple but also like it was drawn very smoothly by a steady hand, I AM SUPER IMPRESSED. My hand could never draw this and it looks like it’s only sharpie on paper. I use the term “only” loosely. I would not be able to make this and you probably wouldn’t be able to either. Deal with it. And there’s a piece of pizza AND yarn AND A SKULL. Like it’s everything I want and more. Darn.
My French friend in attendance said that “Que fait ce chat?” means “What is that cat doing?” and I took his word for it and did not Google to confirm. The context clues seem to point to the fact that he was right but who knows. Cat doing something others would question in French by Joe Waks, top cat peeking is by Erika Lee Sears.
This sink cat is by Ru8icon1 and I love his work so yes I do love this sink cat as well thanks for asking.
These are by Ekaterina Popova and very pretty, I like the colors. ALWAYS WITH THE COLORS, I AM.
This guy makes me giggle BECAUSE HE HAS WALRUS TEETH CAN YOU THINK OF ANYTHING BETTER I THINK NOT.
Mustart made this kitty with a spider on his nose and it was the face of the whole show. Well deserved because spiders are badass.
I didn’t notice at first but this little monster statue by Elliot Lobell has a cat on his monster head AND THAT IS ADORABLE. I really didn’t notice though…like someone pointed it out to me days later. I guess I’m not all-knowing and all-seeing as I sometimes think.
(I am).
Some simple and beautiful kitty cats with kitty cat and human pals by Rob Kaniuk.
CAT KING?! Better than rat king. I like rats but don’t click that unless you wanna barf.
Keith Garcia consistently makes work that I really, really like, and if one day I am in a place to purchase some, I feel like it will all go together nicely even if it’s from different sets. Like the MAC machine is a constant presence and that speaks to me.
As I said, I blew it by not posting about this when they first opened but it’s still going on until May 16 so go check it out! Deep Space Gallery is located at 77 Cornelison Ave in Jersey City, NJ. There’s way more stuff that I didn’t even show you here SO GO SEE.
shanimal. 