life of a south of i-10 girlie-queue

On the imminent death of my 34th year on this plane....

noreply@blogger.com (Girlie-Queue) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:59:00 +0000

Last year, my Dad called prior to my birthday and asked, "what do you want for your birthday?" I thought about it while on the phone and realized I didn't have a clue. I told him I would call him back. Later it dawned on me that all I really wanted at that time was a juicer. I called Dad and said, "All I want is a juicer." It sounded simple. Apparently finding the juicer was not as easy as the request for it. Dad graciously and dutifully scoured the stores and procured 1 juicer. I love it.

This year, I decided to send out a list. Ah yes, the recently popular "Wish List". At any rate, I made it up, sent it to family that I thought might find it useful. My Dad's only reply was "I got your list. I'm not sure I could find any of the things you asked for, and even if I did I might get it wrong, so...." Dude. My dad could find a way to make peeling a banana difficult. Dad, if you're reading, I love you...but life is a lot simpler than you make it out sometimes. I'm just sayin'.

So, here's the list. I thought it a) was comprehensive, b) spanned a variety of price ranges and shopping locations and c) was creative to the point of amusement. Apparently so did my Mom's boyfriend, because this morning he sent me the attached picture in response to my #9 request. It was a sincerely thoughtful gift and one which I will cherish for many years to come. I've really got to print it out and hang it somewhere, because it just can't go unseen by the rest of the world.

iTunes gift cards could be quite useful
"Portable Kitchen" - re-issue of a 50's model bbq pit that is just brilliant
Talking Book:Limited Ed. - Stevie Wonder CD (release date 1972 - Motown)
Multicoulored ball point pens (never mind what I need them for :)
Pedicure or Manicure gift certificates...to anywhere...we have "Classy Nails" here in BTR.
Any Bert's Bees products
Money to help fund the impending Sushi gorging of all time...next Friday at Ichiban's around 7:30ish if you're in town :)
Writing journals...you can never have too many...as has been proven by my paternal Grandmother.
Jumpin' Jesus on a Pogo stick...I just want to see if anyone really knows where to get one of these...or if it's just an exclamation without basis.
A new Jesus for the dashboard of my truck...cause Jesus may be the only one who can help him (Irving, my truck) now.
Any assistance with getting my A.C.E. certification http://www.acefitness.org/ (currently on schedule for Dec 08), which could totally include visiting me and grilling me with anatomy and physiology questions - or just calling me weekly to ask if I'm studying :).
Or, you could just send love (to me, my truck or Shelly, whichever works best for you), love always works too.

Well, this begins the week of birthday adventures. Tonight I will dance at Arzi's until 9 at which point we will gather the masses and head over to "The Industry" for a screening of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, where more than several of us will be "virgins". I can't wait. Saturday we have a birthday party instruction/performance for a group of 13 - 14 year old girls...which will *definitely* be an adventure. Next Friday I have taken the day off of work to have myself pampered with a massage and ionic foot bath...Krys is coming over to share :) then we will head off to the studio for our monthly Whirl. Afterwards we shall descend upon Ichiban like a flock of vultures for copious amounts of sushi and sake. I fully intend to spend the rest of the weekend in a canoe...in Lake Fausse. I'll let you all know how that goes later.

"Business is Great, People are Terrific, Life is Wonderful" George's Bumper stickers...only found in BTR, LA.

Byblos dancing on a Thursday night ....

noreply@blogger.com (Girlie-Queue) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:27:00 +0000

I luv dancing at Byblos with Krys. We usually have a blast, and even when we don't we get to catch up anyway. Then there's the whole Dr. Richard and Susan dynamic; hanging, conversing, picking food off of their finished plates. And last, but certainly not least, there are the 3$ martinis on Thursdays; evil and wonderful. I had one and a half last night....because it would have been unsafe for me to have drunk the second one by myself, so Krys helped.

Sometimes life is pretty flippin' decent. Except for the not getting home until 12:45 part....and having to be at work for 8...but still, life's pretty decent.

Dancemeditation - the weekly class

noreply@blogger.com (Girlie-Queue) — Thu, 22 May 2008 21:15:00 +0000

A couple of years ago I was speaking with Dunya about dance technique and teaching dance technique. She related to me that she was so much happier with Dancemeditation because she didn't have to put as much 'thought' effort into it. Perhaps those weren't her exact words, but the sense was that Dancemeditaiton is restorative (more so than many movement forms) from a teaching standpoint, while technical classes can definitely be a drain if the student/teacher reciprocation is not working.

In January of this year I began a weekly Dancemeditation class at the studio and we've only missed 4 classes since then. I've got to state what a triumph this is (regardless that there are typically only 3 students, a different 3 most weeks though) Last night, while stuck in traffic and completely unable to get to the studio in time for Dancemed, I realized what this practice means to me; even if I cannot go as deeply into a session as a teacher than as a student.

One of the participants is a 15/16 year old, home schooler who showed up earlier last year with her mother for one Dancemeditation session, we'll call her 'K'. She didn't come back for about nine months and it was then I found out that this girl (wisp of a girl) dances...everything. She was so busy with her other dancing that she didn't have time for Dancemeditation. After I had the opportunity to speak with her, K informed me that this type of dance/work wasn't new to her at all. She had already been involved in Somatic practices, contact improvisation and energy work...and K has probably done more at her age in these areas than I have yet to do! Fortunately, there are actually a few things I can show her she hasn't yet seen.

A few weeks ago, I had that ...thing...I'm still not sure what to call it...tap me on the back of my head and say, "hey, we need to whirl." And so they did, or rather, I asked them to and they were thrilled to do so. Granted we only had two participants other than myself, but holy guacamole....

When I am 'running the show' I only get to watch instead of participate, but there's an extremely beautiful thing that happens during a group whirling - and it never fails - when the whirlers are momentarily synched up and for one or two revolutions, they move as one. I know they don't realize what is happening, but from the observer's point of view, the visual is stunning.

This past Tuesday during Dancemed, we had two brand new souls to add to the session. They had never done the practice before, but I knew they would be alright the instant I said "Close your eyes and let your body move however it needs to move." They just rocked the place. Perhaps that is my biggest joy in bringing Dancemeditation to our little corner of the world, I get to watch people who say they have no focus, or who say "I can't dance", or who, for whatever reason, resist other methods of meditative work finally let go and reach/touch that space that is deep within each of us calling and begging for our attention if we will only slow down and listen. The room lit up and literally crackled with energy, an energy so palpable the participants commented on it later.

This particular posting has been going on for exactly one month now...due to lack of focus toward writing on my part... but everything here needed to be said.

The cutting of hair....

noreply@blogger.com (Girlie-Queue) — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:49:00 +0000

So it's a rather huge deal when I cut my hair.

I haven't *really* cut my hair since I was 16 years old...which we'll just say has been almost 20 years. In the interim I've occasionally trimmed 1 to 3 inches off of the bottom to keep it from getting completely ragged.

Sunday, in a manic state, I decided to trim my hair. It's always interesting to me when my simple acts of maintenance turn into cries for major transformation. I've always been teetering on the line between reality and fantasy, so much so that as a child I had the very distinct impression that I had similar properties as the dolls whose hair one can cut, but then pull out again later. To this day, I have to have mental arguments with myself about what is possible in this physical world prior to acting upon some impulses.

I have been wanting a hairstyle change for about a year now. I spoke seriously of and had discussions about it last June and even bought fashion magazines (again, something I haven't done since I was 16) so that I could more accurately indicate to a hair stylist what I was looking for in a 'new do'. Ultimately I'm a chicken when it comes to changing my physical appearance. I like to have as much to work with on the outside as possible so that I can be the chameleon I actually am on the inside. Having lots of hair is exceptionally conducive to changing one's appearance instantly. Shelly can leave his hair down and stop NYC traffic, but once he pulls it back in a braid, the same people who were creating traffic jams can walk past Shelly without ever even noticing him.

All of that being said, my hair is only about 6 or 7 inches shorter than before. Although, when you only have 22 inches of torso, 6 or 7 inches does actually seem like more than it really is. I feel that my hair is at least healthier now than 5 days ago, but there's something dramatic about a length of hair that covers one's entire back and I and I feel differently now for it.

"I feel differently for it", that would be the subtle, subconscious cry for transformation. My Mom used to say the only thing she had control over changing was the arrangement of the furniture. I think what she should have said was, "the only thing I have control over that won't be an obvious, glaring change to the rest of the world, is the arrangement of the furniture." I'm always so impressed when others can change, on a dime, in front of the entire world. I've known and still know people who change, at least their appearance, on a seasonal if not monthly basis; although, I've yet to meet anyone who changes that frequently on the outside in order to reflect some personal, internal, life change.

I am not yet a master (even at the age of 34 and 3/4's) of the chrysalis process, but it is my preferred choice of change. Perhaps that is why I love and long for Dancemeditation retreats - the workspace itself is like one giant chrysalis holding many bodies in varying states of development and transformation. Coming out on the other side is perceivably different, both on the inside and out, to myself, the others in chrysalis with me and the rest of the world. Maybe my longing for transformation is the manic realization that I have not had the opportunity to spend any real length of time in a chrysalis removed from the everyday world in almost a year.

In summary, hair cuts = instant change = sharp intakes of breath and brief instances of panic.

Now how about another vision quest to wrap it all up?

I think it might be time.

Baton Rouge Bellydance Festival Registration is LIVE!

noreply@blogger.com (Girlie-Queue) — Mon, 12 May 2008 16:53:00 +0000

The 2008 Baton Rouge Bellydance Festival is around the corner and this year, we've got something for everyone!
FRIDAY, MAY 30, 20087:00 pm—8:30 PMJewels of the Mississippi 600 MAIN - Downtown Baton Rouge Main & 6thProfessional Bellydance Showcase featuring dancers from South LA$10 - Tickets available online and at the door (Limited Seating)

SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2008
$20 by the class
$55 3 Class Pass
$100 DAY Class Pass* - *includes 6 classes + Saturday Show!

Printable Registration Form

7:00—8:30 PM BATON ROUGE BELLYDANCE FESTIVALStudent Showcase & Choreography ContestRED LION HOTEL2445 S. Acadian Thruway, Baton Rouge, LA 70808OPEN AMATEUR CHOREOGRAPHY CONTEST & STUDENT SHOWCASE!$10.00— 1 Free with purchase of any ‘Class Pass’

STUDENT CHOREOGRAPHY CONTEST
2 Categories, Troupe & SoloStudents dancing for 3 years or less and not in a professional capacity. Choreography can be an older choreography as long as it was choreographed by the students and has never been performed for money. Participants must register for at least one class during Saturday's workshops. Troupes have a 6 minute limit Soloists have a 4 minute limit

STUDENT SHOWCASE & HAFLA Troupes & Soloists welcome Troupes have an 8 minute limit Soloists have a 6 minute limit Participants must register for at least one class during Saturday's workshops. All music must be turned in to Shamsi by 12:30 PM Saturday, May 31st.

INDIVIDUAL HOTEL RESERVATIONS: Each individual guest must make their own reservations by calling the hotel directly and asking for Jan Douglas, Director of Sales at 225.235.4000 or 888-368-7578 by May 15, 2008. They must identify themselves as members of BayouShimmy. All reservations must be guaranteed with a major credit card.

Just a day...and some thoughts to go along with it....

noreply@blogger.com (Girlie-Queue) — Wed, 07 May 2008 13:31:00 +0000

This morning I awoke from dream in which I had three pigeons (that were actually sugar glide rs, but only looked like pigeons) as pets. They were crawling on my chest and shoulders, offering their noses for tiny kisses.

Again, from Mr. Rob Brezsny's Freewill Astrology "LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Are you fully prepared for your showdown with The Machine? Are you as confident as you need to be in order to fight for the rights of soulful beauty? Of course not. None of us is ever perfectly prepared as we go up against the Big Lies of the mechanical thinkers. But I do have great faith in your ability to prevail -- especially if you strengthen yourself with this meditation from the book *Less Than One,* by Joseph Brodsky: "The surest defense against evil is extreme individualism, originality of thinking, whimsicality -- even if you will, eccentricity . . . Evil is a sucker for solidarity. It always goes for big numbers, for confident granite, for ideological purity, for drilled armies and balance sheets."

Which is only exceptionally funny in my bizarre brain patters because this morning as I was heading out to work, there were several Canadian Geese perched atop the levee. Geese have been prevalent all spring, if I'm lucky, I'll get to catch a glimpse of them as they fly over, but more often than not I'll only hear them honking. Geese, in terms of animal totems, are most typically significant to writers, story-tellers, or just re-connecting with stories that inspired us as children to incorporate those stories into our present-day lives. They are also about relationships, community and communication.

So, I'm thinking on Goose today and what she has to offer at this moment in my life. Communication and community...where do I fit in, how do I say the things I need to say and to whom? Where should I step out, where should I be more active...and who's got the Cranberry Sauce?

Reyhan Tusuz & Turkish Romani Dance: Xpost from Tribe.net

noreply@blogger.com (Girlie-Queue) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:37:00 +0000

This is what Maria of Zafira (www.zafira.com) wrote on her post:
Mon, April 28, 2008 - 8:26 AM
I found this on the Turkish Style Tribe page tribes.tribe.net/turkishstyle about Reyhan, a well known Rom dancer that has taught some of the best. I've not been able to study with her YET, sooon.... check out her and her husband on YouTube www.youtube.com/watch

Here's the Xpost:

I received a message today from one of Reyhan's longtime students and I want to share it because I think it's important that anyone who has gotten anything from this dance give something back to those who gave it to us. This is Ferda's email (please read my comments at the end): "...you know Reyhan Tusuz, the wonderful Turk Roman dance teacher from Gaziosmanpasa in Istanbul. Some of you have met with her and taken a class. I have been a friend and student of Reyhan's for 5 years and on my last visit I learned some very very upsetting news and I felt I had to do something. Some of you may know about what has been happening in Sulukule in Istanbul the oldest and longest settlement of Roman people in the world. The current city government is demolishing the historic area, forcing the people (who happen to be Roman some of the most marginalized people in the world and very poor) to accept very limited money and leave their homes. The money is not enough for the families to buy another home in Istanbul as the house prices in Istanbul are very high. Therefore the people must leave Istanbul or pay rent (very high rent) until their limited mney is gone and then they will have nothing. The whole community and this unique culture are being scattered and are at risk of being lost. For more about this you can read this here http://www.casbahdance.org/2006/10/plans-to-demolish-sulukule-istanbuls.html or this romnews.com/community/modules.php for more info. But this email is about our friend and teacher and a great Rom ambassador to the world, Reyhan Tuzsuz. Last week I learned that Reyhan's family is being forced out of the gecekondo neighbourhood where they were born, where they have lived with their extended family, where their mother died, where her children were born and are being raised and where she has brought the world to learn about her clture and especially her dance. The world is richer for it. So, after witnessing Reyhan's sadness about losing her home and her fear for what they would do because the government will not pay the (very little) money until they leave their home, and she has no money to put a security deposit down to rent a new home in her neighbourhood, I felt I had to do something as Im sure you would, if you knew... So here I am telling you all. If you would like to help, if you would like to contribue to preserving this treasure of a dance teacher in istanbul, THEN ...here is what you can do: 1. Send this message out to others who may want to help 2. Collect money from your community, even little bits will help THEN...2 options I can offer... Reyhan has no bank account so the safest way to send money is by Western Union, I think. You can do it on-line with your credit card, (there is a 20% fee) give her name Reyhan Tuzsuz and her location (Istanbul Turkey) and then Reyhan goes to the nearest Western Union office to her with her ID card and picks up the money. OR another option is you can visit the paypal website and go to the account yildizdanz@yahoo.com and the name Janet Shook. You can make a donation with no charge there. Jennet has been a student of Reyhans for five years. She moved to Istanbul largely for the purpose of studying with Reyhan and helping her with her career. Janet manages many of Reyhans affairs and on several occasions before has used her account to transfer money to Reyhan. This is our chance to help Reyhan and her family and to give other dancers a chance to learn with her. I hope together we can help this wonderful woman" There is another way to help Reyhan. She is teaching in Washington, DC on May 17 & 18 at Herdeljezi (& also in NJ on the 19th and in NY on the 20th - if you contact me, I'll put you in touch with her sponsors there....). Our "cause" this year is helping the Tuzsuz family get housing. Any proceeds after expenses are met and all artists are paid will be split between the WMFC and our gift to the Tuzsuz family. We will also have a collection box available for those who want to make personal contributions directly to Reyhan. Please spread the word and urge others to come as well. We are also planning a tour with Janet Shook for the Tuzsuz family in the Fall which will include Turkish Romani, Oriental and Folk dance. However, this tour hinges on whether or not we can get artists visas for the Tuzsuz family - which is no easy task after 911. However, I remain positive that we can pull it together. They will tour and teach and perform across the U.S. and all money will go to help them not only find a house but a studio where they can continue to teach and preserve their art & culture. For those who don't know, Reyhan's husband is an amazing violin teacher and he also teaches percussion. Brad took classes with him while we were there. I hope the entire community will come together to support this lady and her family. She is a true gem, and speaking personally I can say that she & Husnu have enriched my life one thousand-fold. I feel a great debt to her, and it is for that reason I will work my butt off to make this happen. But we can't do it alone. We need everyone's support. Please feel free to pass this info. along. I'll be posting everywhere, so I apologize for the crosspost. yours in dance, Kostana For info on Herdeljezi or Reyhan's workshops in DC, please go to: www.wmfolklifecenter.org

Crawfish holes, church keys, making the groceries...and other South Louisiana Anomalies

noreply@blogger.com (Girlie-Queue) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:20:00 +0000

Just a few things that make South Louisiana Home....

The Mississippi River is in our "Front Yard" so to speak. The levee is across the street, then a bar pit, then woods for approximately half a mile and then you get to the Mississippi. Fortunately it's been flooded for the last month, so our 'neighborhood' (Plaquemine Point) has basically had a new pond to putter around in for the last few weeks.

Shelly went and bought us a canoe a couple of weeks ago and that Friday afternoon we dragged the canoe up to the top of the levee and pushed it into the flooded Mississippi waters. We shouldn't have been surprised to see all of our neighbors down there too, but I guess we were a little surprised. People sitting and fishing from the gravel roads that usually lead to trails going down into the woods. Lots of people with trot lines (Mark LeBlanc, Shelly's brother-in-law took us to run a few lines with he and his eldest daughter, Madeline), tooling around in pirogues and in general just enjoying the entertainment provided by an event that happens once every 10 years or so.

These are all pictures and video taken from the last couple of weekends in the waters of the flooded Mississippi, which crested yesterday at 43 feet.

Okay, so the floating ants have a little story I should relate. I'm not sure how many people out there realize that when fire ants are flooded out, they do not die. Basically they get 'washed up' and then have to cling together, or to pieces of flotsam in order to stay alive. They may all eventually find a tree branch to cling onto, or they may just float along in the water. The Saturday we took the canoe out with Shelly's youngest sister Jennifer and her boyfriend, Brian we had our own little ant adventure. Brian, who had never seen such a thing broke a twig off of a tree to more closely examine the 'Ant clumping' phenomenon. Then he looked over at me and Shelly as we were explaining what it was. Brian then cranked his arm back as though he were going to throw said "ant bomb" at us. We stared at him in shock (no way he's going to do this) and even said, "please, really, don't do that!" Did I mention we were in a canoe in about 15 foot of FUNKY water in the middle of the woods with no way to escape? So, Brian does in fact hurl the twig avec fire ants at us, which I totally expected to soar over or land in front of our canoe, but which in fact landed square in the middle of the canoe. Only after our frantic scramblings and cries of "WHAT THE HELL DUDE?" did Brian finally realize he may have done something inappropriate. Sheesh. Some people's children, ya know?

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the pictures and the brief video clips....this is our front yard.

Shelly's birthday...the STOOPID President and the Geisha Moth contest...ouf

noreply@blogger.com (Girlie-Queue) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:28:00 +0000

So yesterday...it was Shelly's birthday (not his best day ever by a long shot). I took him to lunch because I knew I wouldn't get home from classes until about 9:30 pm and that was nice enough - even if we were both bitchin' about our mutually rotten days. Well - about 3 PM I found out that the President would be coming through town and they were going to *SHUT DOWN THE WEST BOUND INTERSTATE before 5:00PM*. All I have to say is, Are you F*&(ING SERIOUS? So, Baton Rouge depends upon its Interstate and shutting half of it down just at rush hour is about the most inane thing I ever flipping heard of. Needless to say, leaving my office at 5:08 and getting to the studio for my 5:30 class did not happen (this is typically a 10-15 minute trip). Alas, when I arrived at the studio, no one was waiting - if they had come for class, they had certainly already left. I went downstairs and had a beer...which I hate doing by myself, but I read a little too and that calmed me some. When no one arrived for my 6:45 class, I let everyone know I was bailing on the 8:00 PM class and headed home.

The whole way home I was thinking, cool, I get to actually make supper for Shelly's birthday instead of 'picking something up.' (oh, and maybe I could get in a few guesses at the Geisha Moth U.F.O. contest!) I arrived home about 7:15 with Shelly sticking his head out of the door, "The power just went out," he was telling me. Great.

There was NO rain, NO wind, NO nothing that would have caused the power to go out...nothing. Then we began seeing this HUGE storm cloud rolling in with brilliant flashes of lightening...and then it stalled, just to the North East of the house. We never got any rain, but apparently the storms in town were outrageous and fierce. About 9:30 we decided that we just couldn't wait for the power any longer, we were hungry and unwilling to leave the house again after my previous encounters with traffic that day. So I "Cooked" up a couple bowls of cereal for Shelly's grand birthday supper....and comeon ...guess what I'm going to say next? The power came back on just as we were finishing up the cereal - and you can forget my brain actually functioning enough to make a guess at the U.F.O.s....so we put in DiLorentes' DUNE (the extended version) and fell asleep while the Harkonnen's plotted against House Atreides....

I got to go PLAY!

noreply@blogger.com (Girlie-Queue) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:53:00 +0000

March 10, 2008

Okay, so...somewhere around year 2 or 3 into bellydance, I realized that I was 'really getting into this thing' or something like that. I was definitely going to about 3 or 4 workshops a year (more if they were affordable and within driving distance). I was involved in my local MEDA group. Then I started teaching. Teaching does not negate taking classes, unless of course there aren't any other teachers in the area with whom you could/would take classes. Long story short...with regard to bellydance I haven't taken a weekly/regular class since 2000. That's 8 years boys and girls...and for anyone who's trying to learn new stuff and push themselves, learning on your own is a rough path. I did take Flamenco for a very brief stint, immediately before I dove into Bharatanataym for 4 years, but it's been almost 3 years since I had a class in that either! UGHHH... so traveling to learn has been my bastion. I don't mind traveling, I really enjoy it, but when a person wants to learn as much as I do on an every day/week basis as I do....traveling can get rough on a body, not to mention expensive.

So, when a friend of mine from Houston, Zymirrah said, "Hey, were you just joking about coming to Olivia's workshop?" I had to stop and think twice. Was I really joking? I had been wanting to take classes with Zafira and/or Olivia for about a year since Ashley came back from 3rd Coast and showed us the Zafira video and kept going on and on about their technique and style. I just knuckled under and told Z, YES! Shelly and I have been moving like a freight train recently in preparation for two shows and classes and trying to get the new CD marketed and and and.....ouwhf.

So, knuckling under in this case isn't as much of a victim-oriented activity as it sounds. Z asked if we would mind performing in her birth'm'day show and I just couldn't refuse at that point. I gotta tell you, going to take a workshop from someone you think you'll actually get good information from is a thrill for someone in my situation. I was so excited that I didn't care that we would have to drive 4+ hours one way. I was so excited that I didn't care that our troupe's performance the night before had left me with a horrible taste in my mouth for performing (not the fault of my troupe - but the event producer.) I just wanted to go play. I wanted to go to someone else's' workshop and get told what to do and how to do it and ask them questions when I didn't think the move was going right! HA! Gotta tell you....for all of this and more, Olivia Kissel is a gem.

The morning began at 4:00AM for me, I woke up and started getting ready and rocked Shelly out of bed about 4:30. We did manage to leave the house almost on time. I'd wanted to be out of the door for 5:00, but 5:15 wasn't too bad. Back in November, Shelly purchased a cargo van so that we could make trips such as these with plenty of room for equipment as well as a place for someone to sleep while the other drove. Shelly drove and I managed to pass out for all of 30 minutes...oh well. It just made my day a little longer than I might have liked. We arrived a little late for the start of the class and Shelly just found a shady spot in the parking lot and slept until lunch!

So, yup - I asked for it, and I totally got my butt kicked. I'm typically the person people come to when they want a good butt-kickin', but having Olivia do it to me was a welcomed experience. I felt rather in sync with her from the get go. Even though we've approached the dance from very different sides, we apparently have a shared sense of where creativity comes from and as I've said so often before with others - we're drinking from the same pond. I was thrilled and exhilarated to realize we share basic movement and dance concepts, up to and including how to teach those concepts; which I must say was a lover-ly affirmation. Living in a creative bubble way down here on the 3rd Coast of the United States can sometimes lead to Ivory Tower Syndrome, and affirmation from half-way across the country was a welcomed gift.

She started off the morning with a West African inspired warm-up, and truthfully, that was what I felt the next day. With a slight break we eventually moved into her "liquid layers" segment. It was there that I spied Mychele (the Creative Goddess :). I'd met Mychele on the Internet, through MySpace and Tribe.net and she is still the only person I've ever met on the internet who I then had a chance to meet in real life. In addition to being a life coach, she's also a HENNA GODDESS - omg - her henna making method just left me floored (still some of the best henna I've ever worked with) and her henna application even inspired Zymirrah to get a tattoo based on Mychele's design. (Here you can see us in the ecstatic bliss of meeting kindred spirits!) As I said, I spied her, but did not engage her in conversation because, well, we were supposed to be werkin'! The liquid layers section was the thing I found so beautiful because of the affirmation. The even more beautiful thing was to hear the way Olivia described the things that live in my head; different people, different words, different imagery - great stuff.

It was ...a long...long day.

At about 5:00PM the workshop ended and we all milled, as is typical after a workshop, but the show started at 8:00PM and what with supper, driving through Houston and having to get ready for a performance...well, you try to rush while relaxing :) We arrived at the Pearl Bar a little later than we would have liked, but the general atmosphere seemed to be laid back and accepting of a late start. My Aunt Cyndi and Uncle Paul were already there with a table saved, they moved to Houston after Katrina, so I rarely see them any more. As we were talking and waiting for the show to start, I had a beautiful surprise when my friend (and former dance student) Nancy came in with a couple of friends. Love was definitely in the air. I got to see a girl I'd met only once before at a competition in Dallas in 2004, in addition to meeting several dancers from Houston and Dallas. We were scheduled to perform 7th out of 8 acts, but during the 5th performance Z. came over and asked if we would be willing to go earlier because the group that was supposed to perform in the 6th slot was using the same music as the people who were currently performing! Yeah, I never have that problem ;-0 Gotta love musicians!!!! So we did. Talk about feel the love....all the girls I'd met during the day at the workshop were sitting on 'the front row' (we were in a bar after all) and they were just beaming at us. There's nothing like performing, but there's nothing more empowering, motivating, and invigorating as performing for an audience who really cares. The evening progressed and Olivia performed, she was as slinky and full of personality as I'd hoped.

Throughout the day we received offers from people to spend the night and I kept deferring to Shelly who just wanted to drive home after the performance. Well, what do you think happened? After all of those offers and all of our declinations, some of the girls begged Shelly to go out afterwards for food and drinks because it was Zymirrah's birthday also. Shelly was having so much fun (did I mention we were all disco dancing to house music after the show?) that he said, sure...let's go. That was about 9:30 - 10:00PM. Somewhere around midnight I elbowed Shelly out of his conversation with a dental technician and pointed out that it was midnight. With many long good-byes we extracted ourselves to the parking lot and headed out of Houston.

I drove the whole way home, only because Shelly couldn't hear me screaming at him to wake up so I would at least have company over the Atchafalaya. All I can say is, thank god for guardian Angels. Home arrived about 4:30 (a good 24 hours after I'd woken up for this adventure) and then I realized there had been a time change!!!! Scratch that 4:30 and make it 5:30 please, thank you. We slept until 1PM and my stomach dragged us to Ichiban's around 3:30 where the owner and our sushi chef laughed and remarked on our bedraggled appearance...and so is the life of the girlie-queue.

Teaching at 3rd Coast Tribal in January 09

noreply@blogger.com (Girlie-Queue) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:05:00 +0000

Okay- so I'm going to go ahead and plug myself for a change :)

I'm sooper boffo excited to have been invited to teach a small-ish workshop at the 3rd Coast Tribal event this coming January in Dallas. The event has only been going on for 5 years, but the reviews are always raves and plus I love the organizers; Zymirrah and Sahira of Urban Gypsy in Houston, TX.

I enjoy (and am good at :) teaching a number of topics, so it was exceptionally difficult to narrow it down, but Zymirrah ulitmately said the Hand Gestures & Eyes workshop would be a better fit for what was already being offered. And there it is; Hand Gestures & Eyes. I really enjoy teaching this particular aspect because as a dancer I can emote excessive amounts of *goosh* with my eyes and hands. I've been fortunate enough to study several movement/dance forms which not only teach about the energetic quality of the connection between the eyes and hands, but that also teach exercises and movements that can lead to a trance state with simple focus and attention. I'm not sure what to expect from the class itself (particpants, space, etc) so I will do as I always do and prepare myself backward and forward and allow what will happen to do so. Nevertheless, I find myself giddy as a schoolgirl at Sadie Hawkins - with less than 9 months to prepare...and working like mad to make sure I'm the best I can be when I show up! Cheers!

And here’s the skinny on the class I’ll be teaching! If you’ve got any questions or would like more details, please feel free to email me at shamsi@bayoushimmy.com

Hand Gestures & Eye Focus (2 hours)

"Where the hands go, so go the eyes and where the eyes go, so goes the soul." ~ Sanskrit Teaching

The power drawn from the attention we give our hands and eyes during dance can draw our audience through the veil and into our worlds; allowing them to experience our journey through our eyes. When we dance alone, the attention paid to our hands can draw us into a powerful union with our deepest selves; transforming us from within.

With simple exercises and visualizations, we will achieve a dance inspired from the love of our eyes for our bodies. Body awareness through Sufi and Bharatanatayam eye exercises, breathing, Tai Chi and Bharatanatayam hand techniques and postural/core exercises will lead to a more connected and engaging dance, whether for an audience or ourselves.

Skin of Glass - Dancemeditation book release....

noreply@blogger.com (Girlie-Queue) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:48:00 +0000

I'm totally blogging to support my teacher and keeper of the space, Dunya Dianne McPherson.

I've been waiting for nearly 5 years to see this work completed. When I first began my study of Dancemeditation in 2002, I would eagerly await what can only be described as 'storytime'. Dunya had been journaling for sometime at that point and would periodically read to us from her journaling, which would eventually become this book. I can only say what a completely joyful and ecstatic moment it is for me to see her words, thoughts, experiences and Dancemeditation put into a format for the world to see and experience.

www.dancemeditationbooks.com
From the website
______________________________________
Dunya's intense passion for dance took her from a small seaside New England town in 1972 to the Juilliard School in the heart of NYC's vibrant, edgy art scene. When a serious injury derailed her burgeoning career ten years later, she sought ways to heal her body and revise her future. Retreat in a monastic mountaintop community directed by a charismatic Iraqi Sufi Master, prove d to be a sojourn that ultimately led her to the development of Dancemeditation.
Part memoir and part guidebook, this rich account of life in the body takes dance beyond performance into the dynamic realm where the physical, emotional and spiritual become powerfully intertwined.

BOOK PREMIER
For those in NYC, please join me to celebrate my book birth!

We'll have a reading and book, and tea as well as a gallery of Dunya's visual film poems, dance performance by the exquisite Alembic––Carleen Bevans, Nisaa Christie, Kate Russel (pictured here at the Metropolitan Building), and Anita Teresa–– and the elegant musical genius of saxophonist PremikTubbs and Musicians.
Date : Sunday, April 6thLocation: Metropolitan Building, 11-04 44th Avenue, Long Island CityTime: 3pm
Please let us know you are coming!
RSVP: 212-226-2114 info@dancemeditationbooks.com

Advance Praise for Skin of Glass

"If you have ever longed to dance, if you have danced, if you are a seeker, this book will touch you and open your awareness to the majestic inner landscape of our being."—Laurienne Singer, MA. Faculty, Los Angeles City College dance department

"Memoir, prose poem, erotic journey, mystical discourse and cultural commentary--Dunya's brave book also launches a new genre of writing from the body. It is a book sorely needed by a culture disembodied by fascination with electronic devices. Dunya's sensuous writing will draw you in from page one. You will travel inside her body, within her shadows and glory, as she recounts her spiritual quest. The urge to devour this book for its content is almost irresistible. But you'll receive more from Skin of Glass, if you read slowly enough to let the author's rich language fire your neurons and seep into your flesh and blood."—Mary Bond, MA, author of Balancing Your Body, & The New Rules of Posture

"Skin of Glassintegrates narrative memoir with an almost microscopic focus on individual parts of the body (eyes, legs and crotch, spine, ovaries) in a way that does justice to the particularity of each subject area while also deriving rich and resonant literary metaphors for each of these "bodily stations." In fact, one has to return to Elizabethan conceptions of the "body politic" to find such ambitious use of the body-as-literary metaphor. Dunya's writing moves effortlessly from the particularities of subjective sensation to a more objective and generalized meditation on the significance of those somatic experiences. These are profound ideas, expressed in startlingly evocative language."—Roger Copeland, author of Merce Cunningham: The Modernizing of Modern Dance

You don't know my Family....

noreply@blogger.com (Girlie-Queue) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:06:00 +0000

So.....you all obviously don’t know my family ...otherwise you might be more scared to walk around unarmed.

Actually....historically speaking, this is probably quite acurate. We come from a long line of stubborn individuals who think that their visions are ultimately the best for the human (and every other) population. Mind you, we’re not proud or haughty, just right.

So....my generation...in general, seems to have realized this rather well, obvious, character flaw and we’re trying to change ourselves. Some of us have managed to completely walk away from community obligation and social/civic duties in order to live more mundane but certainly more fulfilling home lives. Some of us have indeed decided to sink our ravenous teeth into the back of the bucking bronco that is ’Society’ to try and make it change or at least give us back a bit of our humanity. Others of us are just trying to figure out who we are and overcome the inbred sense of guilt that comes with not becoming the next Pearl S. Buck or Desmond Tutu by the time we were 30 years old. All in all I think we’re doing a damn fine job.

More than anything though...what we’ve done is held on to our stubborn ways without being complete Assholes (which was the old way.) Basically we’ve told anyone who ever looked at us and said "Hey, wow, you’re really great at ______ (fill in the blank) you should try _____ (fill in the blank)!" to take a flying leap, we don’t care from what...just make sure you get hurt. Um, people, first thing you gotta know about a Petti is that you absolutely canNOT think you know enough about them to even possibly reccommend a life choice or action. We’re just not down with it. Unless you’re one of us....you just can’t remotely know us or what motivates us...so please, don’t ever use the phrase "If I were you......" ’cause it might get you dissapeared. Despite how it sounds, this does not make us assholes....just tired of being told how people think we should live our lives.

Well that’s the long and short of it. My Brother’s MySpace profile says "I love my family and I wouldn’t have them any other way." What he fails to say is that if they were any other way...any single one of us would be the equivalent of a refugee whose country was renamed and given a new government. So yeah... me too, I love my family, and I wouldn’t have them any other way.

Rob Brezsny's "Freewill Astrology"

noreply@blogger.com (Girlie-Queue) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:43:00 +0000

Okay - so I'm "one of those" I do read my horrible-scope daily...and I readily await Rob Brezsny's Freewill Astrology newsletter each Tuesday or Wednesday, depending upon when his server is updated.

He's got my sarcasm, I believe...at least that's how I read it in my head. And I love how sometimes I'm reading his horoscopes and I totally feel like the RCA record dog..cocking my head, trying desperately to see if an inner voice will allow me to understand what the man has just said. Ummmm yeah - well this one is quite understandable and seems to fit - I dreamed last night I had a HUGE, beautifully colored Butterfly tattooed on my back for my 35th birthday....... need to be...something else.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Author Rick Fields wrote about the time a friend called to recommend a workshop he'd signed up for. "You've got to come," the friend said. "This seminar will completely change your life in one brief weekend." Fields was skeptical. "I don't want to completely change my life this weekend," he replied. "I've got a lot of things to do on Monday." I urge you, Leo, to adopt a similar stance toward any big educational experiences that promise to dislodge you from your routine. APRIL FOOL! I lied. In fact, the astrological omens suggest you'll benefit from responding to invitations that just might thoroughly upgrade your world very quickly.

Screwin' Up

noreply@blogger.com (Girlie-Queue) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:58:00 +0000

Okay...so on any given day...with my 29.625 balls that I juggle...occasionally one..two maybe even 10 get dropped...but I've never yet screwed up so badly that I accidentally shipped nuclear fuses to Taiwan...

Today, March 25, 2008
"WASHINGTON - The Air Force mistakenly shipped to Taiwan four electrical fuses designed for use on intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Pentagon said Tuesday, but has since recovered them and launched an investigation.

The error is particularly disturbing because of its indirect link to nuclear weaponry and because of the sensitivity of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, which China regularly denounces as provocative."

Ya think?

And here I am beating myself up over posting a wrong class yesterday? Sheesh.

Stopping to smell the roses

noreply@blogger.com (Girlie-Queue) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 21:39:00 +0000

Last year at this time I would purposefully wake each morning, fix coffee and Shelly's lunch and before he was out of the door to work, I would be either taking pictures of the waking world or playing in my garden. I realized how much I truly loved and enjoyed these practices when last Thursday I started out for work and my rose bush, ripe with blooms, called to me and I didn't even have the time to stop and smell the roses.......what a sad state.

Travelin' and studyin'

noreply@blogger.com (Girlie-Queue) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:59:00 +0000

WHOOOHOOO...soooo...After having fulfilled a (at least my first) 4 year obligation to Dunya and my Dancemeditation certification....I'm ready to study some BELLYDANCE again! Soooooo I'm saving up my mulah to travel and learn and meet new people in the dance community. First stop is TribeOriginal....I can't wait, September 18th -21st. I love the Asheville, NC area and I have friends who recently moved *near* there....so I'll be glad for a reason to get up to NC. NOT TO MENTION all of the really cool stuff that is planned.

Next on my little list is 3rd COAST Tribal, January 7-11, 2009! I've never really been in a position to go (money or time)...actually, I'm typically getting home from Winter Monastery Movement (Dancemeditaiton Winter retreat) about day 2 or 3 of 3rd Coast...but not this year baby! Plus, Artemis is going to be there and I've *NEVER* even been in the vicinity when John Compton was teaching...so that's just going to be a BLAST. Every once in a while, outside of my normal group of friends, I realize that I am terribly, unbelievably just plain lucky; a friend of mine from Houston, Zymirrah, regularly hosts workshops and is the coordinator for 3rd Coast Tribal and she asked if I would mind teaching a small class on one of the stages! HECK YEAH!!! So now THAT's kind of exciting....if you must know.

Yup.....I'm psyched and if I'm very very good (which we all know I am) I will be able to save up a little extra for some intermediate trips besides these two ;-)

Time perceptions...the Irony

noreply@blogger.com (Girlie-Queue) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:47:00 +0000

Okay, so...when it comes to working for companies where my primary focus is sitting in front of a computer all day....I have some real issues with getting to work on time.

It's not new, it's definitely no surprise and I never seem to be able to walk out of my door early enough to be at work 'On Time.'

Often I get caught up with the dirty dishes in the sink (literally begging for my attention with their odors) or the laundry that's still sitting in my dryer (where I just pulled my clothing for the day.) There are just lots of little things, everyday things that grab my attention and want taking care of. So, when this morning I awoke to realize that I had just turned the alarm clock off instead of hitting snooze...again....with only 26 minutes to: shower, get dressed, make coffee & lunches, well, let's just say there's nothing like a good kick in reality to shake up one's adrenaline.

I did manage to do all of those things....within 30 minutes really...and I made it to work at 8:00AM, on-the-dot. What I didn't stop for after I bolted from my covers were all of those little things. I completely ignored the dishes and just moved them so I could wash out the coffee pot. I passed the clean, folded clothes still sitting on the chair where I left them two days ago. I just did not let my attention be distracted by all of these things that will eventually need to be done.

The moral of this story? People who suspect they have ADD should really just invest in blinders and make a list EVERY time they wake up about what they need to do for the next hour. They should then revise the list every other hour....and stay focused. I think I'm only kind of kidding about that one. But really, I think it all just boils down to time perception boggles my brain - I suppose it is to everyone whether they realize it or not. When we play music or dance, if we are happy we tend to go faster, when we are sad, we go slower; this is perception, the use of a metronome will absolutely tell you the truth about what real time is versus perceived time. On trips, if the destination is someplace exciting the journey inevitably seems shorter, likewise the return trip from someplace or something fabulous is always the longest trip ever. Additionally, I have been involved in meditations where people who weren't meditating with us at the exact time (or place), still shared our experiences, to the 'T'.

Perceived time. There are many threads that come from this one thought and my brain reels at the size and scope of the possibilities.

I'll probably end up adding to these thoughts...but my perceived lack of sleep just got me thinking.

8,000 DRUMS - World/Earth Healing Event...we're hosting a Circle...are you?

noreply@blogger.com (Girlie-Queue) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:22:00 +0000

I'm going to begin this by saying, BayouShimmy will host a drum circle at BayouShimmy on the 21st of March in alignment with the message that follows. We will meet from 11am - 12pm. Bring a drum :) Ca c'est tout.

This was originally posted from http://www.tribe.net/. Take what you need and leave the rest.

Montreal
8,000 DRUMS PLEASE DO YOUR PART AND FORWARD TO ALL OF OUR RED NATIONS...SUPPORT ALL OF OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS...LET US STAND TOGETHER AS ONE PROUD UNITED NATION! Passing along the word to bring healing for our Mother Earth This special event will take place 12 noon EST. It is also a full moon that day and spring equinox is March 21, 2008 (eg. if you are on the west coast, your time will be 10am this will be your time to be aligned with us here in EST etc. etc.) 8,000 DRUMS on March 21 at noon HELLO, GREETINGS, ANIIN, TANSI, HAN, HAKODA!! Darlene Courchene was contacted by my friend Gilles Novaks who is a Montagnais Indian from Montreal. He is a Medicine Man and a Healer. He asked me to get as many Tribal people to participate in a worldwide ceremony called the "8,000 Drums". He was contacted by two Huron Clan Grandmothers from up there in Canada and they asked him to help spread the word to all Indians everywhere. It will take place on March 21, 2008 at 12:00 noon . All you need to do is play a drum either alone, or with a group or have the whole Tribe participate. The purpose is to fulfill the OTOMI PROPHECY. The Otomi's are Mayan Olmec and Toltec descendants. The drums will be played so that the Creator will hear us and grant our wishes as we pray for help in the Healing Process of our Mother Earth. People are destroying Her and our Mother Earth needs our prayers. Thank you. Ewo-wox-co-dah-wa.

Goin' to Houston....Texas that is....

noreply@blogger.com (Girlie-Queue) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:12:00 +0000

I'm sooooper very excited about this!!!!It's been soooo long since I actually left my state (or city for that matter) to go take a bellydance workshop!!!!! So I am very excited. I first heard about Zafira in early 2007 when one of our teachers came back from 3rd Coast with a DVD of a Zafira stage show after taking one of their classes.

Talk about professional. These 3 women had it totally together and I was awe-inspired immediately.

Soooo as a little treat to myself for working so hard over the last couple of months, I'm dragging my mean-ol-man (Shelly) down to Houston this Saturday so we can visit a few friends we haven't seen in a coon's age and in general just have fun. If'n you've never partied with those bellydancers from Houston....well....your life is much too docile ;-)
Cheers - see you on I-10!

Hosted By: Zymirrah - 3rd Coast Tribal
When: Saturday Mar 08, 2008
at 8:00 PM
Where: Pearl Bar Houston
4216 Washington Ave
Houston, TX 77007
United States
Description:
Zymirrah - 3rd Coast Tribal

Click Here To View Event

Mardi Gras 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Girlie-Queue) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 15:12:00 +0000

I won't say MG was a total bust this year, but I really didn't get to do some things I always look forward to most (Endemyion, Bacchus, Orpheus, Zulu, dancing and playing drums in Jackson Square...). I haven't had a job where I didn't get Mardi Gras off in about 6 years and I must admit that I really missed being able to celebrate Lundi & Mardi Gras days. The Friday before Mardi Gras, two friends of ours were getting married in New Orleans, on Magazine street at 5:00 PM. ANYone who knows this area...and this time of year knows what insanity that is.

Shelly & I both took off the Friday from work because we knew the kind of traffic nightmare getting to the wedding (not to mention INTO the city) would be. We also had decided (because it was a Masked Ball) that we would go as The Joker & Harley-Quinn from The Batman comics. The invitations for the wedding said something like "Come dressed as a character representing any decade from the last century." We struggled for a long while with our theme and I still have to give back the 'Jack Skellington and Sally" costumes I borrowed from a friend of ours.

I must admit however that ever since The CW began airing this cartoon music video of The Joker & Harley-Quinn singing Hank Williams, Sr.'s "Setting the Woods on Fire" - well, I just haven't been able to resist the idea of getting dolled up as this villainous duo. I've also never gotten to dress up so much that people who know me wouldn't recognize me. This might have been the best part of this whole experience. Additionally, anyone who thinks they know Shelly was quite rocked by his appearance....I think one person said that the only thing that could have made our entrance better would have been explosions.

Well - best laid plans...yada yada....I've never used theatre make up prior to this experience...but I did go out of my way to call Fifi Mahoney's in New Orleans to order and have a friend pick up some Ben Nye theatre make up....as I had been told repeatedly "This is the best". Shelly's use of full body make up was old hat and he already had an idea of how to apply and what he was going to do. Soooo it was a lazy day, we planned on leaving the house around 2:30 -3:00 PM to make sure and get where we were going and hopefully there wouldn't be any parade barricades. This would have meant (for me) starting to try and figure out the whole make up thing around noon.....okay...so we dragged around in bed until almost noon...D'OH! Shelly's like "no big deal.....it'll be easy....I've done this before..." I could say so much here, but I will leave it at, I should always know better than to listen to someone else with regard to a time schedule, especially when I am uncertain as to exactly how long my part in the schedule will take! I will now attest to the brilliance of Ben Nye makeup. Applied correctly this stuff does not smudge, wear or even MOVE until you are ready to take it off. I smile...a lot...and I never got creased, nor did sweat remove any of my make up until we got home and had to wash it off, which wasn't a hassle either!

We did not walk out of our house until almost 4:00 PM. It takes just shy of 1 hour to get to the New Orleans city limits from our house. Approximately 20 more minutes to get to 'Uptown', where the wedding was being held, and God only knows how much longer to get through parade people, traffic and barricades. Well...I had it all mapped out. I had taken the time to figure out which parades would be running (all day and night Friday) and where the routes were from beginning to end. I knew *precisely* the route we must take to avoid all barricades.....until we got there. There was thankfully very little traffic before the Pontchartrain and once we hit the bridge, traffic was steady moving at 70 and 80 miles per hour, not too bad. Not even when we got to Loyola drive (just off the bridge) did the the traffic stop...we were golden....and then we got to St. Charles.... the current time is: 5:30 PM

It was not until much, much later that we found out Muses' had been postponed and re-scheduled to run that Friday night....in between the two parades we were trying to dodge. Consequently we drove in circles ...running into barricade, after barricade, never able to get closer than 10 blocks from our desired location. Despite my mapping of parade routes and assuring Shelly that indeed, "this barricade" or "that barricade", "should not be here." Eventually we gave up, knowing the impossibilities of trying to circumnavigate the St. Charles parade route and parked at the corner of Louisiana and Baronne (did I mention the wedding was on Magazine St?)...complete insanity.

We hopped out of the van in full costume....The Joker & Harley-Quinn - ready to fight crime-fighters. The next bit is not in reference to the adventure, but rather to the state of our State and New Orleans and Mardi Gras in particular. There used to be a time when if you were caught out of costume or just walking around in plain street clothes during Mardi Gras you would get harassed, but this time (and it would seem for a few years now) we were the ONLY ones we witnessed in costume. We got thrilled shrieks from everyone as we walked down Louisiana Avenue toward the River. People shouted at us, threw beads at us and in general, let us know We were the spectacle - and there were a *lot* of people out there. Mes Ami's....this I have to tell you is disturbing. One day I will write another blog about dying cultures.

We only arrived at the party 2 and a half hours late. I kid you not. It was however, as I was later told, "a perfect entrance." I'm not sure the needle skipped on the record player, but all eyes did find us as we walked through the door and into the reception hall. At first we thought we must have read the invitation incorrectly because there were all kinds of people there...but they were dressed in formal-wear, tuxes, nice dresses, etc....except for us. Lo and behold - Cartoon Characters in the Midst of a Formal ball....yup. Not to mention how many of our own friends just did not even recognize us! Apparently we had arrived too late for everyone to still have their masks on, but we were not the only flamboyantly dressed. Sure enough, there were Sabrina and Trevor...completely decked as their favorite adults from the "Flash Dance" era (and they didn't even have to go to the thrift store for costumery.) Iona/Kim was there dressed as "70's Chick". And we did meet a couple who were there as Batman and Catwoman...but they too had shucked most of their costumes in order to achieve some comfort.

We danced and with *very* little to drink (cause we'd missed the whole eating part!) and ended up going home around 9:00 PM, only slightly deflated at our botched plans. All in all, it was a great time getting dressed up....I just wished it could have lasted longer.