Meet Jane

I am simultaneously a very simple and complex person. Aren’t we all? Taking full advantage of the concept of the duality of man, I intend to use this blog as an outlet including my unreserved and often dark thoughts and views on the world…thus, the noir in Jane Noir.

30 Things About Me

1. I share a birthday with William Shakespeare, Shirley Temple, my cousin, and my son, Lucas.

2. I am a tree hugger and yet I am obsessed with post it notes (and all office supplies for that matter). I love markers and art supplies. Fun colored paper, post-its, or fancy sharpies are must haves when visiting Office Max, which I often do.

3. I have taken classes on how to cake decorate- I think I’m pretty good at it. I also like to carve cannibalistic pumpkins. (see pics in See What Jane Sees).

4. I love NPR, especially Wait! Wait! Don’t Tell Me!. It’s one of my life’s goals to be a caller on the show.

5. I’m a teacher to the core. I graduated from college with a BS for teaching English literature, language, and writing.

6. Travel is a necessity. I love to go to new places, see new things, and try new foods. I’ve even tried fried octopus and boiled chicken feet.

7. I own more books than clothes.

8. My favorite beach is in Manatí in Puerto Rico.

9. I love the sound of Jarrod Gorbel’s voice and his former band The Honorary Title. I especially like his cover of “No One” by Alicia Keys. I’ve met him several times and have his autograph.

10. I love to make lists; it’s how I think things out, plan, and organize. I have a book of lists.

11. I met the Killers after my sister won a radio contest. They were really quiet, and Brandon Flowers was pretty stuck up.

12. I love Gilmore Girls; the town I grew up in was once compared to Stars Hollow by a visitor I had from California.

13. I study/read up on things I don’t understand or things I’m going to have to do/know. I need to be prepared. In Omnia Paratus. I like to be prepared for all things.

14. If I find grammatical errors in signage, I call and let the company know about it.

15. I am an obnoxiously and obsessively organized person, but my house is generally a big mess.

16. I was a tomboy growing up. I still hate wearing lots of make-up, and I rarely paint my nails.

17. I am very straightforward and honest. I’m not afraid to speak my mind, but I don’t seek to harm others or deprive them of their opinions.

18. My favorite movies are Mary Poppins, Saved!, Clue, Big Fish, Cry Baby, Sound of Music, Romeo & Juliet (Baz version), Twister, Stand By Me, Hook, Fly Away Home, Dirty Dancing, Mean Girls, Parent Trap (Mills version), The Princess Diaries, The Secret Garden, Death at a Funeral (UK version), and Ya Ya Sisterhood. I own every season of Friends, Gilmore Girls, Everwood, The Office, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Dead Like Me. When I go to the movies I get Raisinettes or Junior Mints.

19. I collect antique books. My pride and joy of my collection at this point is an etiquette book by Emily Post from 1945.

20. I try to live as green as possible through reducing and reusing/buying gently used and refurbishing old items. I also recycle plastic, paper, cardboard, glass, and metal. I also cloth diaper my child. No, it’s not gross or complicated; it’s cute, easy, fun, and saves a ton of money, not to mention greatly lessens our environmental footprint.

21. I once danced on the floor of the Palace of Auburn Hills with my high school dance team.

22. My grandpa always joked with me that I was full of shit; he could see it in my eyes. One of my best friends told me that my eyes are the color of melted Hershey’s chocolate.

23. I grew up in metro Detroit. I know how to change the oil, oil filter, tires, wipers, and air filter in my car. I know how to add coolant, windshield wiper fluid, oil, and steering fluid. I also know how to jimmy a lock using a slim jim (no, not the edible kind) and I’m used to driving at least 10 miles over the speed limit on the highway.

24. I have an accent from growing up in Michigan. I now live further south and get made fun of for the way I say my a’s through my nose.

25. I am an ordained online minister of the Universal Life Church. I was bored one afternoon.

26. I used to take dance from the time I was 3 until I was 18. I learned gymnastics, jazz, lyrical, modern, tap, salsa, swing, and a little tiny bit of ballet. My husband and I took dance lessons together before our wedding and performed a 4 minute combination routine as our first dance. He’d never had dance lessons before in his life until we started in December of ’09. Our routine consisted of waltz, fox trot, swing, mambo, and cumbia.

27. I love music. I can sing well and enjoy singing with people, but I hate singing solo. I used to sing a lot better than I do now, but I’m out of practice. I can play piano by ear, but I can’t read music to save my life.

28. I was raised Catholic, but dislike how close minded Catholicism is. I simply classify myself as Christian now. I think it’s more important to be a Christ follower than to adhere to a specific religion. I believe in the gospel over religion.

29. I jumped off a bridge once (for fun). I’ve also gone sky diving, white water rafting, and would definitely do any of the above again.

30. I love photography. I’m still learning and would love to take some classes for it as an adult (I took several in high school). I mainly do portrait and documentary style photography. I’ve even done some urban exploration photography in abandoned buildings in Detroit; it’s sad, beautiful, frightening, and exhilarating at the same time.