Apparently I did a shit job of blogging about my TRIP TO CLUB 33 IN DISNEYLAND! I wrote this short summary a week after we went, intending to get back to flesh it out and finish it to include Club 33 and never did! Oh past me...

Day 1 - Arrival Arrived about 2:30pm. Cab over, check in, stinky elevator, nice view, comfy enough bed. Say hello to the castle, check wait times, looked at new Fantasy Faire area, played some Ingress, head through Downtown Disney, hit up Trader Sam's and get a bite to eat, signature drinks. Into DCA, Monsters Inc ride, watched some Mad T Party, checked out shops, did Crush and Animation Academy. Went back to hotel room.

 Day 2 - Disneyland Carnation Cafe roast beef sandwich and tuna sandwich and peach blueberry pie. Played more Ingress. Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Innoventions Tomorrowland Way House and pass to one ride (Wendy), Splash before going back to hotel room. Back to room to change, Napa Rose for dinner. Prayers, chocolates, bottle of wine for room, roses, relaxation.

 Day 3 - DCA Megg along main street super sweet (from Oregon), made us honorary citizens of Disneyland, rode trolley, Fastpass Soarin', Cars Land (WOW!), Luigi's, tried apple drink at Cozy Cone, Radiator Springs broken, lucky to get on after back up (150 minute wait), saw Mater and Lightning McQueen driving and chatting kids up. Change and rest up, Carthay Circle for dinner, Scotch Mist drink for Chris. Ran into Joe in lobby/lounge, Allison server.

I DID IT!

I survived a week of Whole30 while traveling! My happy report:

**Please note: If you are reading this on Facebook, I am on a FB cleanse right now and I am not participating much. If you want to comment on this post, please visit my blog at http://thetribaldancer.blogspot.com/**

The trip to Bend was just what the doctor ordered. Being surrounded by love and laughter at a time when we need it most=happy, relaxed Shay and Chris. And despite Gretchen's complete inability to chill on the entire 6+ hour drive (she was very very stressed, panting, pacing the WHOLE TIME), once there she was a gem of a pup and it was awesome to have them both there to cuddle and be near. It relieves our stress to have their fur to run our fingers through, puppy kisses to collect, and general cuddles.

Our Gypsy Fire family is just an incredible bunch of women, and now we can include their hubbies and children in our glowing review. What a joy it was to meet them and get to know them a little. Quinn was a wonderful host, as we knew she would be, giving us time and space to find our groove, and being completely accommodating.

Bend itself is beautiful, and the weather turned incredibly sunny the day after we arrived. This allowed for dog park time, walks along the Deschutes river, delicious local organic food enjoyed on the deck, seeing Gypsy and Sister Fire perform at an outdoor bazaar, drinking local beers on the bar patio, and hot tub time under the awe-inspiring canopy of stars. Got some color on my skin, and some joy in my heart. We truly didn't want to leave.

Even the drive home held its delights. Quinn recommended a state park stopover on the trip home, which took us to a stunning view of red rock mesas and canyons--a popular rock-climbing area. After a short "hike" in the intense sunshine, our visit was topped off with fresh huckleberry ice cream in the shade of an accommodating tree.

We are already looking forward to a return trip, to spend time with our loved ones and to take in more of the outdoor activities we didn't have time and energy for on this trip.

Today, we're gettin' the hell outta Dodge. That's right, it's Road Trip Time.

We're heading down to Bend to spend some time with friends, get away from the everyday reality/life/crap, and just try and relax. Chris and I haven't taken a road trip in a shockingly long time, though I have taken many with other girlfriends over the years. I am looking forward to taking one with my best friend starting this afternoon. :)

This will be the first road trip for our dogs, however! We would always have Chris' Mom doggie-sit for us when we went anyplace, and that not being an option for this trip, it's an opportunity to give them an adventure and see how they do. It will be 6+ hours in the car each way, plus staying in a strange house, with two other dogs to boot. I am confident Loki will be the gem he always is--he is St. Loki, I swear. But Gretchen...she is a Bitch. And fancies herself Alpha much of the time. So going to another house with another Alpha Bitch...let's just say she may spend much of her day in a crate and on a leash. Which is fine by me. She could use a little extra socialization and humbling. ;)

It's also nice to think that we will have them with us when we go to bed at night. That is always one of the hardest things when we travel. When the action of the day is through, and we're crawling into bed, we almost without fail make some comments about how we wish our dogs were there to cuddle. It's just not "good night" without our fingers running through black fur and scritching pink bellies, and receiving the requisite puppy kisses. So having that on this trip is a joy.

So what's on the agenda for the weekend? Eating, drinking, hot tubbing, laughing, dog-cuddling, sleeping, repeat.

Renee and I are leavin' on a jet plane today for SF to attend the Jamila Salimpour Weeklong. I am sadly injured on two levels and won't be dancing much, which makes me very sad, but I am still excited to get to *literally* sit at the feet of one of the most influential dancers in American Bellydance history, soak up her knowledge and stories, share some good times with my friend Renee, take in San Francisco for a week, and generally make the most of a week of learning and silliness!

I will not be testing as we have to fly back on Friday for our annual troupe retreat. Testing begins at 1pm and our flight is at 3pm. Though testing would be something I would like to do (if for nothing else, to be able to have the option to do the Level 2), I am not going specifically to get a certificate, but instead am plenty happy to get the knowledge and hear it from the Source. Then we're happily heading home early so we can be swapping bags and leaving immediately for the cabin to meet up with our dance family for a weekend of sharing, drinking, noshing, laughing, drumming, dancing, crafting, and generally bonding with my dance sisters.

Wow, a whole week without my hubby (I will see him for about 30 minutes when he picks us up at the airport until we hop into Renee's car to drive off), and without puppies. But also a whole week without working on anything yard related! Woot! Though in related news on that front, We Can Haz Lawn! We have a weirdly perfect sod lawn outside my window as I type this, and it is tripping me out!

Okay, gotta finish my last minute packing, then off to the airport! But before I do, here is a little taste of what I will be working on.

Here is the performance we did at the Northwest Folklife Festival last year. The first zill portion was inspired by the Jamila Level 2--Renee came back aflutter with finger cymbal goodness and orchestrated this zill-off. Then Renee, Quinn, and I perform El Ataba Khadra from Jamila's Level 2 coursework, which Renee and Quinn learned and brought back and included me in performing it. Enjoy!

It's finally in the works. My registration is in, and I am going to the Jamila weeklong next month. Booking flights and hotel next, along with Renee who will be a TA that week so we are traveling together. I love these bonding travels with Renee, where we get to dig into our passion for dance together and share in it on a deeper level than the day-to-day grind of teaching and running a troupe.

The workshop itself? As soon as the first one was announced, I knew it was just an absolute "must do" for me. While I don't agree with the claim that Jamila was a "tribal dancer" as we understand it today, her influence is completely and inarguably inseparable from the evolution of tribal as we know it--her aesthetics and fusion of cultures was the inspiration for tribal and fusions of our day--and I am eager to dig into those roots and see how it influences my dancing today. It was that kind of "faux-kloric" dancing that got me excited about bellydance in the first place (studying with Aleili, from old school Yaleil) and I am excited to explore those roots in greater depth!

A little bit about Masha I hadn't read before after the jump.

Interesting note from a Gilded Serpent Article by Najia


Masha Archer"Masha Archer, one of Jamilla Salimpour's ex-dancers, always had a booth at the Alameda Flea Market. She had become a teacher of Belly dance and had a very large San Francisco dance troupe. Masha was friendly with me, and she could be dramatic and intimidating! She was decidedly artistic, and had split away from Jamilla Salimpour's group. She had her own dream and followed her dream. She and her husband sold exotic and ethnic jewelry at the Alameda Flea Market. They held large dance parties at their house. Although, she invited me to come to her parties, I never went because I knew it wasn't my kind of scene, and probably, I would not have fit in with her other guests."

"I saw Masha recently at a museum opening in San Francisco. She looked fabulous and even remembered me! Her hair was dark and slicked back like a Flamenco dancer. She was wearing large hair ornaments and her make-up was flawless. The artistic scene had won her over, and she went into fashion design; she had a real flair for it. If you saw her troupe, you witnessed something like Fat Chance, except that it was more elaborate. It was an original. There was enough Afghani jewelry on those women to sink a battleship! Fat Chance Belly Dance seems more limited in concept and almost dispassionate.

Masha had a social organization like Jamilla's. However, it seemed to me that Masha had a sexual-revolution outlook on life then. I heard rumors that her parties on Minna Street, San Francisco, were very "free-spirited." When dancers performed, they'd look intently into each other's eyes, and we'd laugh because it made it seem that there might be an orgy-happening soon. Belly dance was more sexual in nature back then; that was precisely why a lot of us took it up in the first place! Many dancers, musicians, and performers of the time were famous for their mantra: Smoke a joint, dance, then, go make love, not war. There were no serious thoughts about disease as is necessary now."

This planet spins faster every year, doesn't it? My Reflections on Breitenbush 2003 doesn't seem so long ago, yet it is really worlds away, in time and in space.

My dance experience has grown. My dance family has grown. My dance world has grown. And every year at Breitenbush is a time to look back and see where I have come from and see where I am going to. But if I am being honest (and what else would I bother with?), with each year at Breitenbush I feel less and less of a need to be there. What do I mean? Read on...


Michelle, Sharon, and Rochelle
Breitenbush 2001When I first started attending Breitenbush, around the turn of the century (that makes me giggle to say), tribal bellydance was sparse. Most dancers I knew didn't know much about it, and there certainly wasn't any to be had in my neck of the woods. I remember taking workshops with Paulette each month that I could, learning more about this dance of which I knew so little and yet felt such a strong pull to be a part of. And I got to know Paulette more, and basked in the atmosphere she created around her--at the time, the word "community" didn't come to my lips as quickly as it does today, so I hadn't really identified it as that yet. I loved the feeling of connection found in the dance (and was sometimes overwhelmed by it, too), and I remember wishing so much that it didn't have to come and go in a single day each month when Paulette was in town.


Dance Intensive Participants
Breitenbush 2001When I went to Breitenbush, it was a kind of tribal bellydance nirvana. I was constantly surrounded by not only this magical forest, river, and mountains, but all that amazing energy and creativity of tribal bellydancers flowed through it all. I met dancers from other cities, saw different styles, talked about dance, moved through the dance, thought about dance...I was seeped in it. Add hot springs and chocolate and you have the makings of a very heady concoction. Each year was a family reunion, where I would be reunited with friends old and new who shared this love of tribal bellydance--I could completely immerse myself in a community that "got me" and what I wanted to explore in my dance. I would carry home an emotional and technical goodie-bag filled with all this new inspiration and uplifting energy that I simply could not find anyplace else.

As I began to expand my own classes and workshops, having been trained by Paulette personally, it meant a lot to me to be able to take home "source material" from my own mentor to carry into classroom and share with my students. I wanted to share with them even a small piece of the unique experiences I had soaked up in my days away, and try to find a way to keep that momentum pushing forward for myself and for them. Every year was a new chance to fill the creative and energetic wellspring, and then bring that back to dip into at will to slake my artistic thirst, for my students and my troupe.

And something wonderful happened. I won't say unexpected, because truly, this is exactly what I was trying to do. Somehow, I took all those bits and pieces of Breitenbush--the community, the positive energy, the creative forces, the connection--and I started to seed my own dance family with it. I tended my own p-patch of tribal bellydance, and it flowered more than I could have imagined. Pretty soon, I had my own community right here under my nose! Weekly class had become a "family gathering", and events I put together drew our collective even tighter together. Our shared joys and sorrows over months and years bonded us, and our shared love of the dance was the foundation of it all.

I remember back to my first phone call to Paulette where I shyly asked if she might teach me how to teach this dance, I told her it was because I wanted to build a community in Seattle like she had in Portland. I suspect that very phrase probably endeared me to Paulette--hearing that my motivation was rooted in the community of the dance, and not necessarily making money, or chasing fame. Knowing Paulette as I do, I like to think that this motivation mirrors a lot of what makes the dance important to her, and at that moment she saw the chance to nurture that in me...I was so grateful she said yes!

One of my student dance performance/parties

And here I am. I have arrived at my goal...inasmuch as one can arrive at a constantly shifting destination. :) I have built the community I dreamed of those years ago, and continue to water and til and nurture this garden of dance. And around me has also grown up more tribal dancers and their classes and troupes, and the delicious overlap and interplay within our greater Seattle bellydance community has been such a joy and an honor to be a part of. And in the national and international bellydance community, tribal has exploded such that "tribal" is a household word--there are entire websites, businesses, festivals and more built completely around this branch of the bellydance family tree--it even has sprung its own sub-branches!

Whenever I want to talk dance, I can log on to any number of dozens of online websites and communicate with like-minded artists the world over. Whenever I want to see dance, there are thousands of videos on YouTube, performance and practice videos for sale on Amazon.com, and the art is being performed on stages and in clubs and restaurants in every major city in every part of the world at any given time. If I want to meet other dancers, there are workshops and festivals and meetups happening nearly every weekend most of the year. And of course, I have my students and my troupe-mates--amazing women who come to classes every week and sweat and laugh with me, or are cheering enthusiastically in the audience when I perform. I literally can get overwhelmed sometimes with all the ways in which I can get my daily dose of dance.


Partying in Santa Rosa
2008 Tribal Fest
inFusion Tribal and their sisters of Gypsy Fire
who we met at Breitenbush in 2004So that grasping need for "someplace I can dig into my dance" that pulled at my gut all those years ago is gone. I don't feel the same desperate fervor to go somewhere (anywhere!) to seek information, inspiration, community and connection. Because I have it, right here in my back yard. And more than that, with each passing year, more and more of my students have joined me in my trek to Breitenbush. And even students of students, and friends of students...the Seattle(ish!) contingent grows every year. Sometimes it almost feels like walking into a class or workshop back home with the sea of familiar faces--albeit one far more scenic and relaxing!

In the past few years, I have found a lack of enthusiasm for this event which once got me so excited I would be babbling about it months in advance. I have spent a lot of time meditating on why I have found my fervor for this annual pilgrimage waning; and I can see a glimpse of the root of my ennui.

At first I thought it was the result of the event getting shorter each year. In the early years I attended, there would sometimes even be a pre- AND post- extension, where we would arrive on Thursday and not have to leave until Monday. This gave us plenty of time to really sink into the energies and experiences the weekend had to offer. With us driving 6 hours from Seattle to attend, every moment counts, whether you fill it with dance or soaking or hikes or naps. And when you only have one full day without being in a car for 6 hours, as has been the case the past couple years at least, it can be hard to feel like you ever even arrived before you are back in the real world again. With limited time, you have to make hard choices on how to spend it. If you choose to hike or soak, you miss out on the meaty workshops which were the focus of the retreat in the first place. But if you only attend the workshops, then really the event could be held in a conference room at the Hilton and it wouldn't matter--half the point of going all that way is to be in that place, so the pull to skip workshops and do other things around the area is strong.

But no...that isn't quite it. When I would go to Breitenbush, it was a chance to step out of my usual life--my patterns, my thought processes, my expectations, even my relationship dynamics. I didn't have to be a teacher or a mentor or a director. And I could just be a pure lump of clay, molded by whatever Paulette brought. And that was what I needed and wanted at that time in my dance: someone to mold me. But as I grow more into my own unique dance-self, and develop my own approach and philosophy around the dance, I don't have the same need to be molded so firmly by stronger hands. And as more and more of my dance life has become my life, and as more of the relationships and dynamics of my daily dance life follow me to Breitenbush, the result is, sadly, that I don't get to "switch off" as much as I used to when I first went.


My inFusion Dance FamilyWith each passing year, a combination of a stronger sense of my dance self having asserted itself, plus the abundance of dance community and connection to be found back home on a daily basis, plus those roles and responsibilities of director and teacher following more closely on my heels into this "other realm", I have felt more and more detached from what once drew me to this magical place. I find myself spending more time in my room, more time on my own, more time journaling quietly and avoiding the workshops and discussions--something which lays a heavy layer of guilt on my heart for coming all that way, and then appearing disrespectful of, or disinterested in, Paulette and the other teachers for not showing up, which is simply not the case. I find myself more distracted and pulled in other directions by the forces around me, rather than the pure focus I had in the earlier years (is this a common stage of development for full-time dancers, I wonder?). With the shifts in my personal style and development of my own teaching methods, what I often learn is not quite as compatible with my direction as it once was. It doesn't directly translate as effortlessly as it did in years past, and I find myself further distracted by my critical thinking processes as I dance--turning over how to alter or approach it differently to make it work back home--rather than just being able to sink into the new ideas and modes of movement with a pure mind and body.

This change in attitude and mindset are entirely in my hands, and a result of my personal perspective and how my dance world has evolved over the 10 years I have been dancing. Breitenbush is beautiful as always. The workshops and themes presented throughout the weekend are just as important and inspiring. My Dance Momma just as dear to my heart and linked to my soul as ever she was. I will still and for ever more sing the praises of this retreat to all who will listen, and continue to encourage my students to make that trip and soak up all the joys and inspirations it surely has to offer them. But this retreat does not fulfill the same need for me as it once did. That space that was empty, which Breitenbush used to fill, is overflowing with regularity for me right here at home. All the preparation and long drive feel more like running a gauntlet, without the same prize waiting for me at the far end. Today, the most compelling motivation to make this trip is an amazing circle of women that I am lucky to know, but this is no longer the only, or even the most significant, link between us as it once was.



Sharon and Paulette, 2001I will not say something so flip as "I am not going back." Because I know that to say "never" is a very short-sighted and silly way to compartmentalize things in your life, which I am not interested in doing--I want to stay open to possibility in every way I can, in heart and mind. And I know I would miss the chance to see my dance Momma in this most special if all meeting places we have shared so many years. But right now, I can't be sure that what I bring to this event through my participation and energies, and what I carry away, is of a great enough measure to warrant taking a spot away from someone else who would like to go. In years past I have been so certain of my intention, I would put down deposits for the following year the day the current retreat ended. But for right now, I will be grateful for the many blessings I have been privileged to receive through the friendships and knowledge that this retreat has offered up to me each year. I embrace the understanding of myself enough to recognize the change within me, and honor it however I can. As for the future, I will wait and see...

An old post about my experiences at Breitenbush in 2003. To follow soon, reflections on this year, if and/or how my view has changed...

"I love attending this retreat every year. It is a touchstone I have for myself, where I can spend a few days in the company of my sisters in dance and really delve into this passion of mine. The activities at Breitenbush can be broken down into three categories, as I see it--discussion/introspection, dancing/drilling, and relaxation. The relaxation, to me, is just icing on a very thick and delicious cake. Soaking in the tubs is socialization time, time to soothe aching muscles, to breath the air deeply into myself, to fill myself with nothing but peace and laughter. The dancing is a chance to absorb new skills. Dancing there is a challenge to my body and my mind as I learn to execute new moves and incorporate familiar moves in a new way into my dance. Since the Gypsy Caravan style is my main study and focus in both my performance and my teaching, this is a chance to develop my core vocabulary in a supportive space with others who share my deep appreciation for this format. Lastly, the discussion/introspection time is an opportunity to examine where I am at this point in my dance life, and consider how it fits into the larger community. It's a chance to look ahead and set goals and to look back and appreciate how far I have come. It is the time when we all get to share our accomplishments and our frustrations, and find connectedness in the common truths we find among us. When I come away from Breitenbush, not only do I have new inspiration, but more than that I find a centering of myself in my dance. I find validation in my own growth and challenges, and come home with a newfound motivation to create. When I return home, I am newly grounded in my community. "

So just about a week and a half ago, I returned from a trip to San Francisco. I did the FatChanceBellydance General ATS Teacher Training (mouthful!) and I am now officially certified by Carolena herself to teach ATS. That's a subject for another posting...

I don't know why or how, but at the beginning of my trip, I decided to snap photos of the Dogs of San Francisco. Well, I was just snapping pics of dogs, and Quinn (who was there for the same training) said "It's like your tour of the dogs of San Francisco", and the idea was born. So I snapped as many as I could as I walked around.

At first I was trying to stick to just living dogs (not that the alternative is DEAD dogs!!). But I kept walking away from all this dog art and sculpture, I felt I needed to start including it as well.

It's funny how happy people get when you ask to photograph their dog. Actually, their first reaction is bewilderment, and then they beam at you and try to get their dog to stand still and be good and look pretty. Which of course they won't because dogs are camera WHORES and when they see you pull that camera out, they are SO excited to be photographed, they can't stop wiggling and sniffing and letting you know how very happy they are that you have taken an interest in them.

I lamented later that I did not take down the names of all the dogs as I met them. Because there were some freakin' cute names. Like Mitzi. And Kiko. But I am afraid you will have to be happy with imagining names of them for yourself.



The dog that started it all. One morning at Boogaloos having breakfast, I saw this punim outside the joint and had to capture him!


This little cutie was tied up outside a restaurant in The Haight, and was clearly waiting not-too-patiently for its human.


The Most Terrified Dog in the Universe. And you would be, too, if you were only a couple month old, a few inches tall, and your owner thought it would be "great training" to bring you for a walk on a busy day in Chinatown. How this dog did not get trampled immediately, I don't know. I guess it got good at dodging. I have many blurry pictures of this dog trying to make itself even smaller, pulling its tail so far between its legs and shrinking from everyone. Great socializing technique!


This little princess (or prince?) was the mascot at one of the many large import shops in Chinatown (where I bought the most beautiful set of Oriental flower magnets!). She/He/It was very pompous and not the least interested in being coaxed out from behind the counter. But funny enough, the mailman walks in, and the dog goes NUTS! What is it with dogs and the mailman?!


Here is where my resolve to only photography actual organic tissue-based dogs was lifted. When I saw these Bling Pups in the window, I had to snap them. And check out the frog prince, too! WHO BUYS THIS SHIT?!


*snort*


I snapped this guy while Nadia and Quinn and I were waiting for our seat in a sushi joint, somewhere in a mall in Japantown. Why dogs were allowed in the mall, I am unclear.


I was remiss! Quinn had a Dog of San Francisco right in her purse the entire time! Yes, this is Quinn's cell phone coozy. He's riding the waves as Isobune, San Francisco's FIRST boat delivered sushi restaurant (yes, there are many now, apparently).


And this is the good captain of the Isobune: Dog. He leads all the other year mascots. Check out Monkey. He will never make it as a seafarer if he doesn't behave...


I think this is the ONE dog who actually sat and let me snap his mug. Good boy!



A CAT?! Well, I was visiting my brother, and we stopped by his place. He had been out of town a while (as he usually is), and was snuggling one of his kitties hello, so I had to snap it. But don't worry, the trip to the apartment was not in vain...


He also has a dog! Who had been in puppy lockdown for a week and was sooo thrilled to be back in her bed!


This guy was staying at our hotel. We caught him and his humans in the parking lot one afternoon. He was a particularly antsy one, but I got one non-blurry shot!


Check out these guys! They have such earnest little faces! Their human was an elderly woman, and they walked so respectfully beside her. Awww....


I actually ran out of a restaurant and stopped a man from crossing the street to get a pic of this guy. That was when I decided the addiction was too strong, and I had to chill out on this dog thing!


PSYCH! Even if I had decided to stop taking pictures of dogs, this guy would have broken my resolve!! Sitting at an outdoor table at a cafe on Valencia with her human. I took a ton of pics of this little puffball! All were equal in adorableness.


This little guy belongs to the tattoo artist here at Five and Diamond on Valencia. He was barking and running around, and would NOT sit still. Even when his Momma came in and held him for me, all I got was blur after blur. I didn't want to get too in their business just to photograph their dog, especially since the guy WAS permanently scarring someone at the time. So the little legs under the chair will have to do!


And my final dog, also on Valencia, in the window of a kitchy home decor shop. What this picture fails to convey is that this picture is **3D!!** I so wanted to buy it for Queenie! Even if I could have afforded it, and could have found a way to fly it home...the shop was still closed. Geez, it was ONLY noon on a weekday. How can you expect stuff to be OPEN?!



So there you have it. My Dogs of San Francisco. Hope you enjoyed it!

When we last left our fearless adventurers, they were settling in for the night after their first full day of the FCBD GSI.
Day two was probably the most challenging day for me personally. The reason being that the moves were still fairly basic and universal...but with subtle tweaks from what we usually do with them. So the movements individually were not hard at all, but the details and the variations and turning combinations were *just* different enough from what we do to bend the brain a bit. As promised, the talking went down and the dancing went up. We and the gals we had hooked up with the first day had agreed to show up early to stake out a better vantage point in the class (center, not faaar left!--the worst position for ATS, dude!), and stay close so when it came time to group up and dance, we would have some partners with some experience. This plan worked flawlessly and Renee and I partnered with Margaret (who incidentally happens to be in a troupe with LuSynda! Like, from Oasis Dance Camp all that time back! WOAH! Tiny world!).

I think one of my few "I wish" from the weekend would be I wish we had had a little more partner dancing time--more drill time in general, without having to try and follow Meg or Carolena. Just getting to internalize the moves a little bit and put feet to floor to music. But as was evidenced, the goal of this intensive is not to really gain any muscle memory or skill in the moves, but to just be *exposed* to the individual moves, and a chance to ask some questions about the moves and format. This we definitely accomplished.

We had our first day of music theory, which was well laid out. I think I would have taught it a little different from a rhythm study standpoint, but it was neat to get to hear Carolena talk a bit about her relationship with live musicians, and the experience of creating an understandable communication system between the dancers and the musicians when it comes to rhythms and developing music for performance. Or more to the point, the way Carolena and Mark Bell talk about rhythms, and the pitfalls of working with musicians who are "always right". We only ever played triples and military, however, during the workshop.

I got to ask a lot more questions throughout this day, as well as at the Q&A directly after the workshop. I was hyper-conscious of not trying to overwhelm the day with my "agenda" of questions, or to appear too overeager. I was worried about speaking too much, and taking up too much time with my detailed explorations and Carolena's and Megha's gracious answers. However, many women throughout the weekend specifically commented on what great questions I had and how they were enjoying my inquiries and the insight they revealed, so by the end I felt confident I wasn't wasting anyone's time. *whew*

We joined our gals for dinner again that night, this time at a bistro tucked into a 102 year old farmhouse about 15 minutes away. It was lovely, with the courtyard and porch lit by oil torches, and stark white tables in a whitewashed "living room". The food was fabulous (Renee and I split a to-die-for baked goat cheese appetizer, then I moved on to She Crab Bisque and finally Atlantic Salmon), we shared a bottle of wine, lots of laughter, and dance philosophy and dreams. We were so lucky to get to meet up with such wonderful women. Mindy with her strong desire (and blossoming ability) to foster community through the dance, and using it as a tool for battered women. Laraine quietly soaking up the experiences of the other women to take back to her "just broke away from our teacher" troupe, interjecting with occasional questions and contributions. Connie with her desire to bring more codification to her troupe, and some pointed questions to Renee and I about our experiences. Margaret with her classes teaching little girls how to dance, drum, and play zills, and the neat exercises and traditions she has developed to help these girls grow up strong, confident, and nurtured by their little circle.
We head back to the hotel and retired to our own rooms. We were all very tired, had to be up early, check out, have a full day of workshop, and then fly/travel home. So no latenight EEMED watching. But Renee and I ended up drinking some wine, eating some junk, composing some mails to the troupe, and pillow-talking until wee hours. We were exhausted, but couldn't sleep! Finally we fell into an exhaustion and dropped off.

The last day had more new information, but was less mentally challenging for me personally. Largely because the moves were so different from what we do that they were kind of using a different part of my brain power than the day before, and because I had most recently been viewing and working with Volume 7 so the mechanics of the moves were very fresh in my mind and were easily called upon. But unfortunately, my back was killing me. It was already a bit fatigued from the previous days, but when we loaded the suitcases into the car, despite me being very very careful, something went wrong. And my back was in severe pain all day long. So it meant I had to spend more time sitting out that I would have liked. But realistically, this was the best day for me to have been down and out. I danced when it was time to break things down and put feet to floor on a concept, but sat out when it was just doodling around a bit or drilling. I simply economized my dance time to the most important moments in the workshop, and it was alright. I did have to go lie down off to the side a couple of times, and I used up all my Advil earlier than I would have liked. I honestly felt like an idiot sitting out, and feared appearing weak or disrespectful or both! But I knew going into this that I had to do what was best for my physical health, so I just sucked it up and sat out as needed.

We did the latter half of the music theory on this day (not much new info there, but from a teaching perspective, good to observe how another teacher approaches it), as well as belly rolls and flutters (too much time spent on this IMO, but what can ya do). We finished with some partner concepts (Arabic Shimmy w/ arms and fade, Arabic Orbit, etc), and then Carolena and Megha presented us our certificates for those of us who had to dash out before the end of the workshop day (we couldn't stay for the Q&A hour, basically). I have some photos of the weekend, but Chris has the cord for the camera cleverly hidden someplace, so I can't get them off the camera right now! WAH!

For me, it felt too short. I think even one more day would have allowed the workshop a little more fleshed-out exploration and drill time. But I do honestly feel I got a lot out of it--in fact, most of what I went into it for, and then some. I got to ask questions that specifically spoke to the philosophy behind the construction of a move, and gained much insight from observing the connective tissue, details, and aesthetic qualities of FC movement that appeal to me. Renee and I got some inspiration for derivative and new moves and concepts for the troupe, and had good talks with each other and the other women about dance philosophy.

Carolena did confirm that she is definitely developing a second-level training program, between this and the "you can only do ATS" teacher training, which will be a teacher training for those who want to learn more FC movement and teaching skills but not teach only ATS. I am definitely interested in that training, and hope it will work into my 2008 schedule, and that I will be accepted to participate (you have to audition).

Gotta go eat lunch!

*back*
To sum up: the workshop was everything I hoped for and more. Carolena was kind, engaging, super informative, and felt like an open book to me; which to be honest was not was I was expecting, but was grateful to find. She was respectful of people's limits and motivations, spoke clearly and concisely, and managed to put together in only 15 hours a truly informative practical overview of all the moves in the FC vocabulary. Megha was an unexpected treat--a great addition, and she and Carolena taught well together, kind of tag-teaming. Megha's warmth and smile added to the room, as did the presence of her sweet troupe members who were all in attendance, and demonstrated some of the more complex group concepts for us to see in detail and take notes.

It was more than worth the money (and back pain ;)!

When we last left our fearless adventurers, they were settling in for the night after their first full day of the FCBD GSI.

Day two was probably the most challenging day for me personally. The reason being that the moves were still fairly basic and universal...but with subtle tweaks from what we usually do with them. So the movements individually were not hard at all, but the details and the variations and turning combinations were *just* different enough from what we do to bend the brain a bit. As promised, the talking went down and the dancing went up. We and the gals we had hooked up with the first day had agreed to show up early to stake out a better vantage point in the class (center, not faaar left!--the worst position for ATS, dude!), and stay close so when it came time to group up and dance, we would have some partners with some experience. This plan worked flawlessly and Renee and I partnered with Margaret (who incidentally happens to be in a troupe with LuSynda! Like, from Oasis Dance Camp all that time back! WOAH! Tiny world!).

I think one of my few "I wish" from the weekend would be I wish we had had a little more partner dancing time--more drill time in general, without having to try and follow Meg or Carolena. Just getting to internalize the moves a little bit and put feet to floor to music. But as was evidenced, the goal of this intensive is not to really gain any muscle memory or skill in the moves, but to just be *exposed* to the individual moves, and a chance to ask some questions about the moves and format. This we definitely accomplished.


We had our first day of music theory, which was well laid out. I think I would have taught it a little different from a rhythm study standpoint, but it was neat to get to hear Carolena talk a bit about her relationship with live musicians, and the experience of creating an understandable communication system between the dancers and the musicians when it comes to rhythms and developing music for performance. Or more to the point, the way Carolena and Mark Bell talk about rhythms, and the pitfalls of working with musicians who are "always right". We only ever played triples and military, however, during the workshop.

I got to ask a lot more questions throughout this day, as well as at the Q&A directly after the workshop. I was hyper-conscious of not trying to overwhelm the day with my "agenda" of questions, or to appear too overeager. I was worried about speaking too much, and taking up too much time with my detailed explorations and Carolena's and Megha's gracious answers. However, many women throughout the weekend specifically commented on what great questions I had and how they were enjoying my inquiries and the insight they revealed, so by the end I felt confident I wasn't wasting anyone's time. *whew*

We joined our gals for dinner again that night, this time at a bistro tucked into a 102 year old farmhouse about 15 minutes away. It was lovely, with the courtyard and porch lit by oil torches, and stark white tables in a whitewashed "living room". The food was fabulous (Renee and I split a to-die-for baked goat cheese appetizer, then I moved on to She Crab Bisque and finally Atlantic Salmon), we shared a bottle of wine, lots of laughter, and dance philosophy and dreams. We were so lucky to get to meet up with such wonderful women. Mindy with her strong desire (and blossoming ability) to foster community through the dance, and using it as a tool for battered women. Laraine quietly soaking up the experiences of the other women to take back to her "just broke away from our teacher" troupe, interjecting with occasional questions and contributions. Connie with her desire to bring more codification to her troupe, and some pointed questions to Renee and I about our experiences. Margaret with her classes teaching little girls how to dance, drum, and play zills, and the neat exercises and traditions she has developed to help these girls grow up strong, confident, and nurtured by their little circle.

We head back to the hotel and retired to our own rooms. We were all very tired, had to be up early, check out, have a full day of workshop, and then fly/travel home. So no latenight EEMED watching. But Renee and I ended up drinking some wine, eating some junk, composing some mails to the troupe, and pillow-talking until wee hours. We were exhausted, but couldn't sleep! Finally we fell into an exhaustion and dropped off.

The last day had more new information, but was less mentally challenging for me personally. Largely because the moves were so different from what we do that they were kind of using a different part of my brain power than the day before, and because I had most recently been viewing and working with Volume 7 so the mechanics of the moves were very fresh in my mind and were easily called upon. But unfortunately, my back was killing me. It was already a bit fatigued from the previous days, but when we loaded the suitcases into the car, despite me being very very careful, something went wrong. And my back was in severe pain all day long. So it meant I had to spend more time sitting out that I would have liked. But realistically, this was the best day for me to have been down and out. I danced when it was time to break things down and put feet to floor on a concept, but sat out when it was just doodling around a bit or drilling. I simply economized my dance time to the most important moments in the workshop, and it was alright. I did have to go lie down off to the side a couple of times, and I used up all my Advil earlier than I would have liked. I honestly felt like an idiot sitting out, and feared appearing weak or disrespectful or both! But I knew going into this that I had to do what was best for my physical health, so I just sucked it up and sat out as needed.

We did the latter half of the music theory on this day (not much new info there, but from a teaching perspective, good to observe how another teacher approaches it), as well as belly rolls and flutters (too much time spent on this IMO, but what can ya do). We finished with some partner concepts (Arabic Shimmy w/ arms and fade, Arabic Orbit, etc), and then Carolena and Megha presented us our certificates for those of us who had to dash out before the end of the workshop day (we couldn't stay for the Q&A hour, basically). I have some photos of the weekend, but Chris has the cord for the camera cleverly hidden someplace, so I can't get them off the camera right now! WAH!

For me, it felt too short. I think even one more day would have allowed the workshop a little more fleshed-out exploration and drill time. But I do honestly feel I got a lot out of it--in fact, most of what I went into it for, and then some. I got to ask questions that specifically spoke to the philosophy behind the construction of a move, and gained much insight from observing the connective tissue, details, and aesthetic qualities of FC movement that appeal to me. Renee and I got some inspiration for derivative and new moves and concepts for the troupe, and had good talks with each other and the other women about dance philosophy.

Carolena did confirm that she is definitely developing a second-level training program, between this and the "you can only do ATS" teacher training, which will be a teacher training for those who want to learn more FC movement and teaching skills but not teach only ATS. I am definitely interested in that training, and hope it will work into my 2008 schedule, and that I will be accepted to participate (you have to audition).

Gotta go eat lunch!

*back*
To sum up: the workshop was everything I hoped for and more. Carolena was kind, engaging, super informative, and felt like an open book to me; which to be honest was not was I was expecting, but was grateful to find. She was respectful of people's limits and motivations, spoke clearly and concisely, and managed to put together in only 15 hours a truly informative practical overview of all the moves in the FC vocabulary. Megha was an unexpected treat--a great addition, and she and Carolena taught well together, kind of tag-teaming. Megha's warmth and smile added to the room, as did the presence of her sweet troupe members who were all in attendance, and demonstrated some of the more complex group concepts for us to see in detail and take notes.

It was more than worth the money (and back pain ;)!

I am writing from our *excellent* (**second)** hotel room in Atlanta, where Renee and I are attending the ATS General Skills Intensive certificaition program with Carolena. Oh yes, Sharon gets the best adventures and drags other people along, I think. Well, I take the blame because it seems like I am the constant in these things. Nevermind the horrid check-in at the airport. Nevermind the ridiculous security line (idiots running that place!), and barely making our flight in time. Nevermind that the people who volunteered to pick us up from the airport neglected to mention that they also agreed to pick up three other people...three hours after our flight arrives, so despite landing at 7:30, we have to sit in the airport waiting and get to our hotel at 11:30pm... (believe me, I am grateful for the generous gesture, but had we been informed of this, we would have rented a car, which would have also settled a few other transportation issues we are running against now)...
We get to the hotel which was recommended: an Extended Stay America, which is set up with a bunch of individual buildings around a courtyard. Each has yellow "danger" tape around every building and giant trash containers taking up half the parking lot spaces. The very nice lady at the desk (yes, really) informs us they are roofing all the buildings. She doesn't know how early they start in the morning. Hooray. We get our assignment, and we hike off across the parking lot to our building. We open the door to the first room, and aside from it being the most depressing hotel room I have ever seen, it stinks like a chain smoker just left...after a week's stay. So we haul our luggage back to the main office (ow my back!), and get our second room assignment a little further away. We hike out there...it's not much better. Turns out they have NO plan for smoking room blocks. They have rows of smoking rooms with one non-smoking room tucked in between! (You know what my father would say). These rooms are so sad--a single glaring fluorescent light in the center of the room, a bathroom about as big as the front seat of my car, nothing on the walls, a single low dark wood dresser with a 22" TV sitting starkly in the center... It's kind of like a prison as far as decor and charm go, and no I don't think I am exaggerating.

So we hike back to get a third room assignment. The nice desk lady says, "Well, we only have three more available rooms. Two of them are the old rooms, which you could try. The rooms you have seen already are our newly rennovated rooms. The older ones won't have the plush furniture. Would you like to try one of those?" (PLUSH FURNITURE?!?!?!) Renee starts to say yes, and I say "Uh...NO! No no no no..." So we try one last "plush" room, and I inform Renee we are moving to the Holiday Inn Express up the street. She halfheartedly agrees (it is a pain in the ass--we will have to walk there, since our ride has gone home) She sits on the edge of the bed and... "Oh damn. These are like slabs of cement with sheets thrown over them." She calls to check on reservations at the Holiday Inn Express.

We hike back to the desk one last time and ask for our money back. It's midnight now Atlanta time, and we have the workshop in the AM. So we grab our bags and head down the street. It is a 5 lane highway, btw, and there are no sidewalks! So we are walking in the road against oncoming cars, ducking into the occasional parking lot to save from walking in traffic. We finally make it...and it is nirvana! Matt The Desk Guy has just popped a bag of popcorn and offers me a handful while he checks us in. Turns out it's all suites, so we get a freaking wicked room (but not before grabbing a couple free cookies and some tea). We dance around the room, leap onto the soft beds, and run into each other's arms, hugging and laughing gleefully at our fortune. We sip our tea, watch the 30" TV (with 70 cable channels and HBO!), and sleep peacefully until morning.

So we have finished our first day of the intensive with Carolena, which was pretty basic stuff and pretty verbose (more talking, less dancing), though we are told that will be less true with each passing day. We were lead to believe the group would be pretty experienced, but really only about half or less have significant training evidenced in their dancing. *sigh* So group work could be dodgy in the coming days, but we're trying to keep an open mind, and soak up all we can! And Carolena is just fab. She has been incredibly engaging, laughing and making jokes, gives a great amount of detail, and has already revealed some of the insights I hoped to glean from taking this workshop with her. Her assistant, Megha of Devyani, is also sweet and well spoken, and I am enjoying their teaching partnership very much. I am enjoying getting to play zills more than usual. I look forward to more hard work--this from the gal with the back issues! Today was no big deal at all. I could have stood more pain to have more real drilling.

After the workshop, we met up with some gals from Tennessee and Florida, who invited us out to dinner along with two other gals we had met earlier (from Virginia and Baltimore). After getting their reservations canceled over at the Extended Stay and (effusively grateful) moved into the Holiday Inn as well, we head out for a meal. We drove a little out of the way for an Asian fusion restaurant they found online, which was delicious, and there was much laughter and dance talk. Great gals, good time. Stopped at the store on the way home for some snacks and wine for tomorrow night--a little EEMED video watching is in store, as is possibly a trip to one of the largest haunted houses in the US, which is just up the road apparently!

Sorry that got so long!

I am writing from our *excellent* (**second**) hotel room in Atlanta, where Renee and I are attending the ATS General Skills Intensive certificaition program with Carolena. Oh yes, Sharon gets the best adventures and drags other people along, I think. Well, I take the blame because it seems like I am the constant in these things. Nevermind the horrid check-in at the airport. Nevermind the ridiculous security line (idiots running that place!), and barely making our flight in time. Nevermind that the people who volunteered to pick us up from the airport neglected to mention that they also agreed to pick up three other people...three hours after our flight arrives, so despite landing at 7:30, we have to sit in the airport waiting and get to our hotel at 11:30pm... (believe me, I am grateful for the generous gesture, but had we been informed of this, we would have rented a car, which would have also settled a few other transportation issues we are running against now)...


We get to the hotel which was recommended: an Extended Stay America, which is set up with a bunch of individual buildings around a courtyard. Each has yellow "danger" tape around every building and giant trash containers taking up half the parking lot spaces. The very nice lady at the desk (yes, really) informs us they are roofing all the buildings. She doesn't know how early they start in the morning. Hooray. We get our assignment, and we hike off across the parking lot to our building. We open the door to the first room, and aside from it being the most depressing hotel room I have ever seen, it stinks like a chain smoker just left...after a week's stay. So we haul our luggage back to the main office (ow my back!), and get our second room assignment a little further away. We hike out there...it's not much better. Turns out they have NO plan for smoking room blocks. They have rows of smoking rooms with one non-smoking room tucked in between! (You know what my father would say). These rooms are so sad--a single glaring fluorescent light in the center of the room, a bathroom about as big as the front seat of my car, nothing on the walls, a single low dark wood dresser with a 22" TV sitting starkly in the center... It's kind of like a prison as far as decor and charm go, and no I don't think I am exaggerating.

So we hike back to get a third room assignment. The nice desk lady says, "Well, we only have three more available rooms. Two of them are the old rooms, which you could try. The rooms you have seen already are our newly rennovated rooms. The older ones won't have the plush furniture. Would you like to try one of those?" (PLUSH FURNITURE?!?!?!) Renee starts to say yes, and I say "Uh...NO! No no no no..." So we try one last "plush" room, and I inform Renee we are moving to the Holiday Inn Express up the street. She halfheartedly agrees (it is a pain in the ass--we will have to walk there, since our ride has gone home) She sits on the edge of the bed and... "Oh damn. These are like slabs of cement with sheets thrown over them." She calls to check on reservations at the Holiday Inn Express.

We hike back to the desk one last time and ask for our money back. It's midnight now Atlanta time, and we have the workshop in the AM. So we grab our bags and head down the street. It is a 5 lane highway, btw, and there are no sidewalks! So we are walking in the road against oncoming cars, ducking into the occasional parking lot to save from walking in traffic. We finally make it...and it is nirvana! Matt The Desk Guy has just popped a bag of popcorn and offers me a handful while he checks us in. Turns out it's all suites, so we get a freaking wicked room (but not before grabbing a couple free cookies and some tea). We dance around the room, leap onto the soft beds, and run into each other's arms, hugging and laughing gleefully at our fortune. We sip our tea, watch the 30" TV (with 70 cable channels and HBO!), and sleep peacefully until morning.

So we have finished our first day of the intensive with Carolena, which was pretty basic stuff and pretty verbose (more talking, less dancing), though we are told that will be less true with each passing day. We were lead to believe the group would be pretty experienced, but really only about half or less have significant training evidenced in their dancing. *sigh* So group work could be dodgy in the coming days, but we're trying to keep an open mind, and soak up all we can! And Carolena is just fab. She has been incredibly engaging, laughing and making jokes, gives a great amount of detail, and has already revealed some of the insights I hoped to glean from taking this workshop with her. Her assistant, Megha of Devyani, is also sweet and well spoken, and I am enjoying their teaching partnership very much. I am enjoying getting to play zills more than usual. I look forward to more hard work--this from the gal with the back issues! Today was no big deal at all. I could have stood more pain to have more real drilling.

After the workshop, we met up with some gals from Tennessee and Florida, who invited us out to dinner along with two other gals we had met earlier (from Virginia and Baltimore). After getting their reservations canceled over at the Extended Stay and (effusively grateful) moved into the Holiday Inn as well, we head out for a meal. We drove a little out of the way for an Asian fusion restaurant they found online, which was delicious, and there was much laughter and dance talk. Great gals, good time. Stopped at the store on the way home for some snacks and wine for tomorrow night--a little EEMED video watching is in store, as is possibly a trip to one of the largest haunted houses in the US, which is just up the road apparently!

Sorry that got so long!

This past weekend was wonderful fun. Gen and I head up to Chilliwack, BC to teach a weekend chock full of dancing goodness.

We got stopped for a full search at the border which was scary. I mean, had I brought a ton of stuff to sell at the workshops as I usually do, we would have been in a very awkward position, surely. But we didn't, so the car search didn't implicate us in any way. And the immigration guy was so very nice, and we chatted him up a little bit about bellydance and the workshops we were going to... Puts the fear o' god in ya, lemmie tell ya.

Every single time I visit Canada I am struck by how very very nice they all are (except for the border guards, who seem very rude by contrast, but it's kinda part of their job to be intimidating). I feel like I am coming home to old friends, even in a room of strangers. They are so open, and so giving. We were showered with a small flood of gifts right from our arrival in the form of a gift basket, complete with home-crafted bath salts, scented spray, and lotions; a package of digestives; home-canned peaches; and two mugs and a selection of teas and hot chocolate!

We tried to spend some time assembling our performance set for the following night, but kept getting stuck, so we struck out for dinner. Latitude 47 was down the street, and we got a hearty meal and a bottle of yummy wine. The "I love you man's" started pretty early this trip, and we talked about dance and our troupe and wonderfulness around all that. We chilled back at the room, and chatted late in the dark. The morning came too fast and we were tired, but off we went!

The workshops went well. The group was pretty beginner level across the board, so we didn't get as many concepts covered as I usually get to. I hadn't realized how few of them had any tribal experience, so the movements and stylings felt very foreign to them and were a struggle on some of the rudimentary concepts. When I discovered that many of them were under the impression that a shimmy was pumping your knees, and they didn't know there even was any other kind of shimmy, I had my work cut out for me. But that was good news--I was thrilled to be able to bring some general technique and theory to them, and they were so eager and so wonderful throughout, working hard and laughing along with us. I know I had fun, and they seemed to as well.

Back at the room, we set back to assembling a couple sets for the hafla that evening. We finally settled on a two-song first set featuring the skirtwork they had learned, and a three-song second set showcasing the bhangra they would be learning the next day. The first set was a surprise--we decided last minute to add an additional set, so we weren't on the schedule. We just came slinking up the aisle when they thought the intermission was about to begin, and they erupted into applause. That was fun. :)

I always love dancing with Gen (Hell, which of my sisters don't I love dancing with?!). We definitely have a great rapport onstage, and our comparable height and shape makes us appear even more in-synch. And Gen is great at eye contact and vamping it up with me! LOL SASSSSSSSSY GENEVIEVE!! And it is a rare treat to get to do duets in our group, since we work in trios mostly, and duets tend to be very limited in use. So getting to really connect just the two of us was a treat.

Afterward, we felt like superstars. Folks heaping on praise, taking photos with us, and each of us given a bottle of wine by the beautiful and fun Amy who we became friends with at Kamloops. We felt really good about the performance. Everyone then changed and head out to dinner at a restaurant just a block away, where we stuffed ourselves, drank wine, and then sleepily head back to the room...where we ate cheetos and drank more wine, and again talked way too late.

Morning came too fast, and we had to pack up and load the car to be able to head home right after the workshops were over. We started with some drills, introducing some basics isolation concepts and introducing different shimmies, which had their eyes wide and smiles beaming at something so new and different. I love that! Their enthusiasm feeds me, and I had much fun jamming alongside Gen as my stellar assistant. We finished with Bhangra, which tapered off a bit near the end, as the students lost steam in their 8th hour of workshops in one weekend. It was hard to keep them moving near the end, which was too bad since bhangra is usually such a complete adrenaline kick! But some of them just plain gave up, and I couldn't get them to push through it. :(

We ended with a nice long yoga cool-down, and brought the workshops to a close. I packed up what was left of my vending, which wasn't much, changed into fresh clothes, made our goodbyes with kisses and hugs, and hit the road. The drive is just so easy, especially compared to the Kamloops drive which felt like ages comparatively (well it was over twice as long!). I was welcomed to Seattle by a hailstorm and grey grey pounding rain, and no hubby...puppies, but no hubby. Because he was off in Burbank, CA drinking the Disney Kool-Aid!


Yes, Chris is now officially an employee at Disney! Sadly, it entailed an orientation down in Burbank, CA, which had him leaving about five hours before I got home from Chilliwack. Almost six days apart from one another altogether. *sigh* But at least puppies were tended to on each during our trips since there was little enough overlap in our absences. But it did suck to come home to no Chris. His presence is so grounding for me, and when I come home he hugs and kisses me, unpacks my car, hands me a glass of wine, and fends off nutty dogs until I am ready to have them barking and jumping all over me as they are wont to do. So the relatively quiet house the followed was lonely.

But Chris' trip sounded fabulous despite the dry HR presentations (replete with cheesy sexual harassment films!). He called me every day bubbling with info and trivia about Disney Studios (where the animators work, and the movies are filmed--it's where everything from Mary Poppins and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to *cough* Meet the Robinson's is created). He got "inside scoops" on lots of ongoing projects, and even got to eat Walt's favorite meal (chili) right on the property where Walt himself enjoyed it (which he informed me with a tone of pride). He bought me several pins, and were given a handful of others in various ways, which gets me a load of traders for our trip to WDW in Sept.

Sadly, his camera mysteriously went kaput right on arrival! It worked to make calls, but the screen was entirely blank. So he couldn't take any pics!! WAH! He tried to relay as much as he could, and I looked up maps and pictures I could find online to supplement, but I so wish he could have taken pics of the moments he personally experienced. But the cool news is that as an employee he can bring me to tour the facility anytime! Yes! He can take me onsite and take me into ANY part of the property save for the studios (which are working studios and they can't have people just walking around). But, for instance, we could walk right into the animation building and see where they work and maybe even see some live concept art or projects in the works! There is also a Disney Studios Archive, which is part mini-museum, part full archive of all videos, photos, and writings in the Disney collection. All the scripts. All the concept art. Every thought from Walt's first scribblings up to current projects gets archived there. Some is on display, some is on microfiche...sounds coooool. So hopefully we will get to do that next time we are down there. It's a bit of a drive from DLR, but would be worth a car rental to me to be able to go and see it. And Chris sounded sooo proud that he would get to be the one to open that door to me. My Chritter...*beam*

Looks like Chris will have a lot of great inside info on future projects and pending concepts, which he will be allowed to share with me, but I cannot share out at all (of course). I always chuckled at the people (assholes?) on the Disney forums I belong to who, in the middle of a discussion speculating about some rumored change or addition, would seem to so smugly pop up just to say, "Well, I know *something* (insert sidelong look here), but I am not allowed to say! Just know you will be pleased/displeased/surprised/shocked/whatever when the info is released to the (mere mortals) public!"

I could be that smug asshole! LOL

I finally got my hugs last night when I got home from troupe, which was fabulous. Sadly, we had to eat dinner and head right to bed, since today was his first day in the office. I am so sad that our free days together are over, and it's back to ships passing in the night. :( And for a while it may be worse than it was at his last job, since he will be spending extra time learning the new job and may be staying late here and there. *sigh* Why can't we be independently wealthy? But I am glad Chris is back at a job where we have benefits again--and some groovy perks. In fact, we found out that if a cruise isn't sold out...we can get 75% discounts!!! HOLY COW! We will be cruising soon for sure!

In other news, I hadn't reported on the kitchen in a while. We opted to tear out half of the wall, and the work is done. Now we need to try and match the texture of the patched wall with the old plaster which has a sand-texture surface...blunted by layers upon layers of paint. From everything I have read, it is near impossible to match these textures, but that is our next challenge. We also are eager to get a new fridge in there, since the one we have came with the house, and in addition to being pretty inefficient, is ugly. And it is now the first thing you see when you walk toward the dining room, since it is right there framed in the new opening. *sigh* We have something picked out, but it is going to be a couple grand plus, and we can't do that right now. We are also looking at doing the cabinets this summer, which will rule. :) I can't wait. I have been hitting up ikeafans.com again lately to prepare myself for that day.

So that is the latest updates from me. Sorry I have been such a lame LJer, but I haven't been very chatty online in general lately. I am all about refocusing my energies in 2007, and am looking hard at where I want to spend my time and energy. I guess blogging hasn't been high on that list, though keeping in touch with all of ym friends IS. So do keep in touch, dear friends. You guys rule.