f. u. hill

.trail.

 

Gary L. Haller Trail, yesterday

.and monday.

I had intended to write a review of "An Iliad", which the Mister and I saw at the Spencer last night - because it was wonderful and someone there had told us it had gotten and awful review (which I cannot find) and some part of my heart wanted to remedy that by putting my own voice and experience out there...

Also, this hottie is basically the entire cast.

But instead I spent the day weighing the pros and cons of hiding hundreds of crickets in someones desk, versus a live tarantula. The jury is still out. I'm not 100% sure how much I want to get written up for....bringing a pet to work? (or is that harassment?)....or how much I want to torture a poor arachnid. Though the price is right - I think I can buy one for around twenty green things. And I do have a terrarium that people keep telling me needs a critter, on the off chance that the poor beast doesn't get smashed.

But "An Iliad" was wonderful, and I highly recommend you go see it.

.things of recently.

Oh jeez...I feel like I'm coming out from under a giant rock of hide-y-ness.
Or escaping a pool of quicksand.
Which, if you Google quicksand, will turn up a bazillion images of ladies with giant boobs. Come on interwebz. Why are you obsessed with killing the ladies with big boobs?
You are all a bunch of weirdos.


Lots of things have happened, and not happened.

Warrior weekend - working on a post about the class I taught; and also there was dancing. This was my first partner piece in a really really long time and it was so nice to Do That Thing. I'm still not ready for another troupe, but more partner work with more other dancers may be in the near future.

I dove headfirst into fixing my dancing from the bottom up. Things have been bothering me for a bit now and so I've started taking classes from both AmyJo and Melody, and in a few weeks I'll be taking some Irish Ceili classes for fun and exercise. Both AmyJo's and Melody's classes are FANTASTIC. I cannot recommend them highly enough as thoughtful competent amazing teachers who will fix your shit!

Adventures in Adventures. I chopped off all of my hair again, and I found a fancy new phone case inside my old beat up phone case through phone case archeology.

It's all fancy and lenticular-tastic.
Also, SPACE TIGER!

And my cat attempted to assassinate my computer. Still waiting to see if she will make a full recovery. The computer I mean. The cat is fine and continues to rule the house with the iron paw of Catism.

Cats are jerks, in case you hadn't caught onto that yet.

Also, I don't have cancer!
Which was a possibility. 

Next Week: I'm on a Boat!!!

.things that happened recently.

• Good classes. Thankyou students for being FANTASTIC!

• There is now a whole separate blog page which will soon replace the "Design" section of my website. It's easier to update, and easier to link to.  Zoom!

• Radium Girls Challenge! And if I win, the next challenge will be Night Vale. If I don't win, I'll be doing a Night Vale themed piece anyway.

• Did I mention Night Vale perfumes? I should have - Glow Cloud is already mixed, Carlos is next. Except they're not for sale.  You'd have to talk to the creators of Night Vale about them.

• Super awesome review - thankyou customer! You're getting a super special extra gift next time you order and you don't even know it yet!

• New Scent SNOW will soon be available for general purchase - very very very limited quantity here. This is the first scent from Perfume club - it smells like Snow! Cool and clean and a little sweet and pepperminty. And hint hint - next months scent is Moss.

• My schedule for February filled up fast - classes and shows and rehearsals and not even Raqs Bohéme to schedule around.

• And I sprained my wrist. I fell down in a parking lot. On ice I couldn't see.
Thanks Winter.

.happenings.

Later today I'll be listing two new scents and different variations of several other scents (combo packs, larger sizes, etc.) on etsy. The scents? Moriarty and The Woman!
Moriarty is a lovely not too sweet blend of lavender mint and tea. The base oil was actually steep in early grey tea for over two months, so this puppy will be available on and off in limited quantities.
The Woman is an amalgamation of many things - Tobacco, Jasmine, Amber and Sandalwood to name a few. It's floral, it's earthy, it's spicy and seductive.
New jewelry pieces will be listed as well.



Meanwhile, tea yesterday was absolutely awful!
Long story short - if you get a reservation inquiry from two people with dietary restrictions which you then claim you can accommodate - that does not mean serving them the exact same thing you're serving to everyone else and telling them to "Pick around the bits you don't want."
Just don't take the reservation.


This weekend I'll be performing and teaching in St. Louis at the annual Urban Cabaret.
Performance info is here.
Class info is here.
I'll also be vending at the show so if you're going to be there it's a great chance to smell the smells in person. If you're not you had better buy any jewelry you've been eying in a hurry because whatever sells in St. Louis stays in St. Louis.


Next weekend I'll be joining a force of dancers including Amy Jo and Rebecca for "The Big Show" in Springfield Missouri.

This year we are giving you an insider's view into the lives of women and girls. Dancers will be covering everything from playing dress-up to Rosie the Riveter and everything in between! The goal of this show is to give a fun, dramatic, and sometimes serious homage to everything it is to be a woman!

Info is here!

.things that happened.

the Khal and the Khaleesi

afterwards

Not much to say - awesome day at Warrior Weekend - my students were great and it was wonderful to see all of my dance friends. A shame that I couldn't make it out to the show, but schedules are hairy these days.
Speaking of which - I'm in Nashville all this next week!

And two pictures of yesterday - one with a sneak preview of what will be going up in the etsy shop soon!

Thanks Mary LadyVertigo Ashbury for taking them!

Help Quixotic!

I was involved with performing with this group for a few years and to this day it has been one of the most wonderful and educational experiences of my performing career. Watching what Magliano and Thomas have done with the group more recently has been truly inspiring.

Now Quixotic, needs everyone's help to upgrade some crucial equipment, and they've got an Indiegogo campaign set up to do so...

.beginning beekeeping pt.2.

Last Sunday (yes a week ago - what do you want I'm very very busy and sleepy) I had my second segment of Beginning Beekeeping with the Northeastern Kansas Beekeeping Association.  Like the first segment, it was terribly interesting, very well put together and I learned a lot.
Like how I learned that there is absolutely no way I have enough time to take care of bees.
And even if I did, I still have nowhere to put them.

Most of the class was focused on bee diseases and pests and Pest Management - not eradication, management. Though sometimes pest management with bees means eradicating your bees - otherwise known as burning your hives, bees and all.
Though sometimes it just means covering your bees with powdered sugar, which sounds hilarious.

I also came to the conclusion that if anyone was ever thinking about keeping bees that it's really imperative that they take a class first. I've read a lot about bees in the last two months, subscribed to blogs and podcasts - and I learned way more in these classes than I ever would have managed to take in on my own. And I made beekeeper contacts to pester when I come up with more silly questions.

Now if I can just find a beekeeper who will sell me their winter die-off bees, I'd really be on a roll.

.Sketchbook Wednesday.

Back! Because I finally got a new sketchbook to replace my sketchbook that went on a personal WalkAbout to who knows where. It's probably in the same place as my keys. And the left socks.

 

 

Tonight I'm driving to Springfield (again) to play a part in the Club Bellydance show that is happening there tonight. Fortunately it looks like the snow will have stopped by the time I have to make the 2.5 hour drive; and hopefully I'll finally be able to get a decent video of my sword piece with my shiny brand new camera.

.signs.

 When I was driving home from Springfield Saturday I had to stop for gas, and in the gas station window I saw a sign...

 

Really it's a donut sign, but.....I want to buy some Daylight.

.journey.

Today I drove down to Springfield to drop off my painting for the MOAK show.
First it was weird because it was so easy, then it was weird because the Docent was at the front desk and he put on these immaculate white cotton gloves to handle my piece after I'd filled out requisite forms. Seriously, other people should be taking care of my work more often. I just wrap things in plastic-wrap.
Because I don't know any better.

Then I met lovely people for lunch!

And popped by to visit the Second Annual Pagan Picnic...

Good day!

.sketchbook.wednesday.

.almost.home.

Almost home, and our one point of pride for the whole trip - we totally outgeeked everyone on the Cruise Ship at SciFi Trivia. And the one question we got that noone else did?

What does T.A.R.D.I.S. stand for?

Seriously!

.goodbye.

(really just an excuse to use this gif)

.in.absentia.

Remember I said I've been very very busy?
I got married this weekend!

It was exhausting, and it's not over yet!

So while I have some posts prepared for the next few weeks - I'm really very much not here at all.
 

my favorite conversation from the weekend

...as Rebecca was loading her things into my car for the Yeh Shaam Mastani show...

Me: What’s that noise? (while poking at the Tardis)
Rebecca: It’s the Tardis.
Me: No, I was poking at the Tardis to see if it was the Tardis, and it’s something else....
(the Tardis quiets down and I listen)
Me: Oh, it’s a lightsaber.

.home.again.

 

Monday Ms. Rebecca Dharma and I attempted to return home from our adventures in the east - and I don't know that we're allowed to travel together anymore. Setting aside last years misadventures with giant spiders, bleach, food poisoning and hail - which I cannot talk about - the trip home was....amazingly bad.
Traveling on I-70W home, we hit not one but two semi-truck accidents, the second of which got us trapped on the highway for about three hours. Not moving.
At all.
For three hours.
If we'd had a truly spectacular view like this picture by my friend Nathan VanArnsdale, we'd probably not have minded so much.

Instead we got the Piazza Food Delivery Truck.
And harassed by a creepy trucker  who kept coming to visit us.
You know, since all the cars were turned off and everyone had resorted to milling about on the pavement.
And peeing on the side of the road.
And then I decided to hide the food.

the adventure so far...

 Napoleon - Rebecca's Rooster. He's quite fancy.

 The halfway point - Effingham.

 I do love positive bathroom affirmations...

 Rebecca's performance.

Class today.