Sunday, December 2, 2012
Opals and Perfectionism
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Holidaze
This year I do admit that
I’m not feeling really holiday-like.
Part of this is just how I am. I
tend to hang on to summer as long as I can and while I’m trying to embrace
winter (see earlier posting) – I still am most surely a summer girl. I thrive in the warm to hot weather; I like
the feeling of the sun on my skin. Part of it, I think, is that it seems
Christmas gets pushed on us earlier and earlier each year. I remember seeing Christmas decorations out
in stores, in the early October! The
other part of it is how commercialized the season tends to be. Sometimes it seems to be more about who gets
or gives the biggest and boldest rather than being nice to each other. Of course there is debate about the this
being the actual birthdate of Christ , be that as it may shouldn’t the season
still be more about having an attitude that is like the golden rule? Instead of black Friday craziness? I do not do black Friday. Well, at least I don’t do the doorbuster
thing. Black Friday now begins on
Thanksgiving evening. So now, directly
after being thankful for what we already have, some feel the need to act like
animals or worse in order to get some cheaply priced items. Alright, that statement isn’t mine – I saw
it floating around the web – but it’s true!
It’s true I don’t go out shopping
for doorbusters no matter how great of deal - because I have no real urge to
see society and people at their worst.
The cheap prices don’t make up for it.
Well, I still want to
enjoy the holiday season. Maybe it is
alright to not be real into it some years.
Maybe a few simple Christmas decorations up, a Christmas card list of
only the closest people and hopefully forgetting for the most part about the
holiday yummies.
Don’t get me wrong – I do
enjoy parts of the holiday season -
Holiday shopping is
something I enjoy a great deal. I was
surprised to learn some people don’t like this.
Maybe I have a future in personal shopping then because I like finding
unique gifts for people. While gift
baskets and fruit cake are fine – I like them!
I like finding things that people really enjoy – that they haven’t even
thought of for themselves.
I like the outdoor
lights. Mind you not that I put up a lot
of them, but I do like seeing the ones that people in the neighborhood put up,
from those with a Religious theme to those that look like gingerbread houses,
or one I particularly enjoy – the house the decorates the woods near their home
with multiple themes that somehow all fit together … there is something special
about lights gently lighting the snow on the ground.
Another holiday that I
really enjoy is New Year’s. Time for the
“Twilight Zone” marathon, and the airings of “Back to the Future”. There’s our small holiday family and friends
gathering and maybe, just maybe- if my friends are willing to do it – going out
to rock in the new year.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Winter in Minnesota
Winter in Minnesota
Winter can mean a lot of things to a lot of different
people. In Minnesnowta, I mean,
Minnesota, snow is a topic we are well familiar with. It means a lot of things to a lot of people,
too. To many children it means a
wonderful experience. It means play
time, snow angels, sledding, snow ball fights and perhaps a cup of hot
cocoa. To adults it means having to
shovel, go out and start the car ahead of time and bundling up. And yet still some adults manage to enjoy
winter here. Something that I’m not
always so great at. So I’ve done some
thinking about it. What makes these
adults different? Sometimes they have a
winter sport they enjoy. Sometimes they
like the beauty that comes from a majestic snowfall, flakes glittering like
feathers of silver in the air, coating the trees with a thick and heavy layer
of white.
Granted – I’m a summer type of girl. I like warm, bordering on hot weather. I like going outside and feeling the sunlight
on my skin. I like short sleeve shirts, sandals
and eating outside.
However God made winter too.
Minnesota is where I live for now… so I have decided to try and enjoy
winter – I might not go out and buy snow shoes or a fish house, but there is
nothing wrong with enjoying a brisk walk all bundled up, to come inside a warm
toasty house later and enjoy a nice cup of coffee or tea.
Photo taken near Willmar, Mn - where I grew up
Friday, November 9, 2012
Election Impressions
I've never claimed to be big on politics, or how the process works. This is because I don't believe that my vote makes a difference. What can one person do too a system that more often seems to look out for big companies and large corporations instead of the individuals of a country? But yes... I still vote - for the principal of voting itself. Besides... if I don't vote, do I get the right to complain? ;-)
So my post won't be on which candidate I liked, or telling you how you should've voted like I've seen so many posts about on facebook - instead my post is about how I think the process should work, and this not from a political science major or activist, just from me.... middle of the road typical average American.
A two-party system.
That's odd. I counted more than two choices for President on my ballot. I think if the third party candidates jumped through the proper hoops to get their names on the ballot - then they should get equal time on the debates.
But why stop at the debates? For a long time I've felt that political ads should not be allowed? Why? because it seems like the candidate with the best ads ends up winning. How is that fair? Instead I think there should be a 24/7 channel dedicated just to politics with each group appearing on the ballot getting equal time.
And that's my more than 2 cents.
So my post won't be on which candidate I liked, or telling you how you should've voted like I've seen so many posts about on facebook - instead my post is about how I think the process should work, and this not from a political science major or activist, just from me.... middle of the road typical average American.
A two-party system.
That's odd. I counted more than two choices for President on my ballot. I think if the third party candidates jumped through the proper hoops to get their names on the ballot - then they should get equal time on the debates.
But why stop at the debates? For a long time I've felt that political ads should not be allowed? Why? because it seems like the candidate with the best ads ends up winning. How is that fair? Instead I think there should be a 24/7 channel dedicated just to politics with each group appearing on the ballot getting equal time.
And that's my more than 2 cents.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Listia should be list*lie*a....
So recently I tried the online auction site Listia. How Listia works is - you don't buy things with cash. You buy them with Listia credits. You get a lot of them for signing up, and doing other tasks like filling out your profile and referring friends. Of course the fastest way you get credits is by listing things in listia auctions. You do not get paid for them. Instead you get Listia credits that you use to bid on auctions you want.
As you can imagine, there's a lot of not-too-fancy stuff on there. Yard sale leftovers, miscellaneous items... but that's the beauty of it or so I thought. It's a place where all those common items can clear out of your life and go to someone who really wants them.
So, I signed up, and sold my first item : a book. I had enough credits to bid on an auction I wanted - and I won! I sent the seller my address... weeks went by and no item. I filed a dispute with Listia .... I thought I was told that my credits would be held neutral until it was solved. Well - my credits were given to the seller in spite of the dispute I filed.
I wrote to the seller who never answered.
I went to leave negative feedback and to my surprise I couldn't leave negative feedback. Only positive or neutral on account that I had filed a dispute. Listia. Set up for scammers.
So I told the lady what I thought of her actions. Told her she must be hard up to scam people out of fake money to buy bits and bobs on listia........
As you can imagine, there's a lot of not-too-fancy stuff on there. Yard sale leftovers, miscellaneous items... but that's the beauty of it or so I thought. It's a place where all those common items can clear out of your life and go to someone who really wants them.
So, I signed up, and sold my first item : a book. I had enough credits to bid on an auction I wanted - and I won! I sent the seller my address... weeks went by and no item. I filed a dispute with Listia .... I thought I was told that my credits would be held neutral until it was solved. Well - my credits were given to the seller in spite of the dispute I filed.
I wrote to the seller who never answered.
I went to leave negative feedback and to my surprise I couldn't leave negative feedback. Only positive or neutral on account that I had filed a dispute. Listia. Set up for scammers.
So I told the lady what I thought of her actions. Told her she must be hard up to scam people out of fake money to buy bits and bobs on listia........
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Easily amused, are we really?
So, recently I saw a gas station that advertised how you could watch TV as you pumped gas - because there are TVs installed on the pumps themselves now. At first I was wow'd. (wow.) And then I was struck by it. have we really become such a society where we need entertainment every possible second? Social psychologists already are wondering how humanity and culture itself will adapt with the progression of smart phones and how "connected" we are to techno gadgetry - but not always too each other.
While it's easy for me to sit here and condemn - tables of friends who are sitting together but are on their phones, or families where mom and dad are on their laptops and iPads while the kids are playing video games, I must turn my critical eye inwards. Sure I usually don't do that kind of thing, but what about the times where I've check my facebook while being out, or spent too much time on facebook - or have decided that it's much more fun to be online or watching TV than it is, say going to the gym or working on dozens of projects that I could be doing.
I wonder what would society would be like it we attempted to interact with more people face to face instead of through phones or computers.
While it's easy for me to sit here and condemn - tables of friends who are sitting together but are on their phones, or families where mom and dad are on their laptops and iPads while the kids are playing video games, I must turn my critical eye inwards. Sure I usually don't do that kind of thing, but what about the times where I've check my facebook while being out, or spent too much time on facebook - or have decided that it's much more fun to be online or watching TV than it is, say going to the gym or working on dozens of projects that I could be doing.
I wonder what would society would be like it we attempted to interact with more people face to face instead of through phones or computers.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Love your body day / a weighty issue
Happy love your body day!
Yeah I didn't know about it either until I saw this on facebook -
For more information click here
I say it's about time. As being a non-thin person I have struggled with weight since I was a pre-teen. And in my 30 years on this planet I have discovered the truth as far as food and I are concerned to be that I can either
A - Starve and be miserable thinking about the next time I get to eat a piece of celery
B - Give up completly which feels equally as bad
or
C - Be content making minor changes and adjustments to get my body where I want it to be, loving myself on the journey.
So far C has proven to be the best choice.
As being a \non-skinny I have found that it seems like size is that last thing that some people feel is acceptable to make fun of a person for. Or I hear comments like "so and so should just go to the gym more" or "so and so should try a salad".... these are often comments made by people who are fit-thin themselves and who may not realize that it isn't that easy for some of us. So drop the superior attitudes already. Maybe they were just blessed with a fast metabolism and/or enough time to work out. It's like telling a thin person they should just eat a cheeseburger. Yeah, you know what? Maybe it isn't that easy for them, either.
We all have our reasons for being in the shape that we're in. This is venturing into what is possibly more-than-you-want-to-know-about-me land, but after all..... this is my blog and my thoughts.
Take me. Partially genetics, partially the meds I needed as a baby because I was born very early, partially the pre-diabetes that I have, and hey - I'll admit it - partially the fact that I like to eat. But as you see it's not simply from laying around watching tv all day and/or stuffing my face - because I'm fairly active.
One of my thin friends eat like a horse - and for as long as I've known her has been a size small. She's had people tell her to gain weight.
And I guess dancing has taught me a lot as well too. It would seem that very few of the women I know (can't speak for men) - aren't happy with who or what they are. The very things I think are beautiful about them - are sometimes what they dislike about themselves. Why hate yourselves so bad? It's easy to point fingers at the media I mean, what with ads like this:
Article here
Which totally makes me want to run out and buy a ..... wide angle lens? Wait..... what? But also, some people seem to just naturally hate themselves no matter how beautiful they are. Maybe it's human nature. Or maybe it's other aspects we don't like about ourselves that surface as body issues. After all - isn't it easier to lift weights or go on a diet than to work on our motiviation, skills set or attitude?
When it comes down to it - we are only given the one body, so why not love it and appreciate it? Of course this doesn't mean you can't change it here or there, but what about accepting yourself as you are until you reach your goals?
A lot of people I know - of all body types - are intimidated to do things like go to the gym or dance at concerts. "What if people look at me?" Well I used to be that way too. Now I've gotten over it. I love having fun and enjoying myself and if someone is going to take offense to my presence - then they can kiss my ask.
Watch this cute 3 year old talk about kicking some ask.
Yeah I didn't know about it either until I saw this on facebook -
For more information click here
I say it's about time. As being a non-thin person I have struggled with weight since I was a pre-teen. And in my 30 years on this planet I have discovered the truth as far as food and I are concerned to be that I can either
A - Starve and be miserable thinking about the next time I get to eat a piece of celery
B - Give up completly which feels equally as bad
or
C - Be content making minor changes and adjustments to get my body where I want it to be, loving myself on the journey.
So far C has proven to be the best choice.
As being a \non-skinny I have found that it seems like size is that last thing that some people feel is acceptable to make fun of a person for. Or I hear comments like "so and so should just go to the gym more" or "so and so should try a salad".... these are often comments made by people who are fit-thin themselves and who may not realize that it isn't that easy for some of us. So drop the superior attitudes already. Maybe they were just blessed with a fast metabolism and/or enough time to work out. It's like telling a thin person they should just eat a cheeseburger. Yeah, you know what? Maybe it isn't that easy for them, either.
We all have our reasons for being in the shape that we're in. This is venturing into what is possibly more-than-you-want-to-know-about-me land, but after all..... this is my blog and my thoughts.
Take me. Partially genetics, partially the meds I needed as a baby because I was born very early, partially the pre-diabetes that I have, and hey - I'll admit it - partially the fact that I like to eat. But as you see it's not simply from laying around watching tv all day and/or stuffing my face - because I'm fairly active.
One of my thin friends eat like a horse - and for as long as I've known her has been a size small. She's had people tell her to gain weight.
And I guess dancing has taught me a lot as well too. It would seem that very few of the women I know (can't speak for men) - aren't happy with who or what they are. The very things I think are beautiful about them - are sometimes what they dislike about themselves. Why hate yourselves so bad? It's easy to point fingers at the media I mean, what with ads like this:
Which totally makes me want to run out and buy a ..... wide angle lens? Wait..... what? But also, some people seem to just naturally hate themselves no matter how beautiful they are. Maybe it's human nature. Or maybe it's other aspects we don't like about ourselves that surface as body issues. After all - isn't it easier to lift weights or go on a diet than to work on our motiviation, skills set or attitude?
When it comes down to it - we are only given the one body, so why not love it and appreciate it? Of course this doesn't mean you can't change it here or there, but what about accepting yourself as you are until you reach your goals?
A lot of people I know - of all body types - are intimidated to do things like go to the gym or dance at concerts. "What if people look at me?" Well I used to be that way too. Now I've gotten over it. I love having fun and enjoying myself and if someone is going to take offense to my presence - then they can kiss my ask.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Exercise and body acceptance
I haven't been to the gym in awhile. There for a little bit I was going 4-5 days a week. No, before you ask - I'm not going exercise crazy... some days I might do something like ride the stationary bike for 30 minutes or swim. So no worries - I certainly don't have the "exercise" anorexia that I read about the other day. (People who work out extensively in order to loose weight along with starvation dieting.)
To be honest much else at the gym (such as the elipticals and treadmills) hurts when my hips are off. (Alright we're quickly venturing into more-than-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-me territory but I have scoliosis - which means in my case - one hip is higher than the other. It isn't terrible, but certain things agrivate it like to motion needed to use the eliptical and arc trainers.) And as far as the other equipment - I'm intimidated to ask how it works. That's right.... I'm afriad that some hulk-like trainer will try to hard sell me on signing up for a personal trainer. (I prefer to save some $ - and work out myself, thank you.)
So I guess what inspired this post was this picture that a friend on facebook posted. (I don't know the original author of this photo - otherwise I'd credit)
There's a lot of people running around my gym who look like atheletes - and then there's me lol.... but - yknow what?! .... I paid my membership just like they do. So what if they've been there for 4 hours working out and I'm enjoying my 30 minute exercise bike routine... it beats me sitting on the couch. I'm just saying - because it is surprising the people I know that don't work out because they're scared to go to the gym because they don't look like fitness gurus ... because they don't work out... (see the circular logic here?) I say..... so what? If anything, in my experience, people seem to mind their own business - 90% of the time and the other 10% people have been talkitive or friendly. If there are people out there who do not like how I look or I aggitate by my presence then I *hope* I annoy them. If I knew they were there, I might even go more.
Of course - I wasn't always like this. I've been through hating myself for this, that or the other, wishing I could change an impossible amount of things about myself. And right now - I'm pretty much alright with myself. This doesn't mean that I'm not trying to improve myself - or there aren't still things I'm working on, but that I have much more realistic goals and that I have these goals (fitness and other) because *I* want them, not because the ad in the magazine says I have to be a size 2 to fit in. And now there are aspects of myself that I love and wouldn't change one bit.
There is a "size acceptance" movement out there - but what I like more than that is the idea of "body acceptance" - since not just overweight people struggle. I know some women who have the Hollywood body and yet still aren't happy because of (whatever - insert complaint here).
So I will step off of my acceptance soapbox for now - to say that the gym and exercise and everything else seems to be about making positive habits. Once out of them, it's hard to start, but once started it's easy to follow.
To be honest much else at the gym (such as the elipticals and treadmills) hurts when my hips are off. (Alright we're quickly venturing into more-than-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-me territory but I have scoliosis - which means in my case - one hip is higher than the other. It isn't terrible, but certain things agrivate it like to motion needed to use the eliptical and arc trainers.) And as far as the other equipment - I'm intimidated to ask how it works. That's right.... I'm afriad that some hulk-like trainer will try to hard sell me on signing up for a personal trainer. (I prefer to save some $ - and work out myself, thank you.)
There's a lot of people running around my gym who look like atheletes - and then there's me lol.... but - yknow what?! .... I paid my membership just like they do. So what if they've been there for 4 hours working out and I'm enjoying my 30 minute exercise bike routine... it beats me sitting on the couch. I'm just saying - because it is surprising the people I know that don't work out because they're scared to go to the gym because they don't look like fitness gurus ... because they don't work out... (see the circular logic here?) I say..... so what? If anything, in my experience, people seem to mind their own business - 90% of the time and the other 10% people have been talkitive or friendly. If there are people out there who do not like how I look or I aggitate by my presence then I *hope* I annoy them. If I knew they were there, I might even go more.
Of course - I wasn't always like this. I've been through hating myself for this, that or the other, wishing I could change an impossible amount of things about myself. And right now - I'm pretty much alright with myself. This doesn't mean that I'm not trying to improve myself - or there aren't still things I'm working on, but that I have much more realistic goals and that I have these goals (fitness and other) because *I* want them, not because the ad in the magazine says I have to be a size 2 to fit in. And now there are aspects of myself that I love and wouldn't change one bit.
There is a "size acceptance" movement out there - but what I like more than that is the idea of "body acceptance" - since not just overweight people struggle. I know some women who have the Hollywood body and yet still aren't happy because of (whatever - insert complaint here).
So I will step off of my acceptance soapbox for now - to say that the gym and exercise and everything else seems to be about making positive habits. Once out of them, it's hard to start, but once started it's easy to follow.
Friday, September 21, 2012
What I sleep with
So perhaps it's time to start this post with a disclaimer and a riddle.
Disclaimer: I'm tired and can't sleep so this may be nonsensical.
Riddle: What I sleep with.
It's hard and long. It's smooth and has rounded corners that fit into my hand nicely. It's made out of plastic and is very sleek. It has controls on it and holds batteries...
it's a ......
..............
...............
.................
.,..............
...................
....................
Remote control. What did *you* think it was? Get your mind out of the gutter.
I admit I'm laughing at my own bad joke. No, I'm not perverted - I got the idea partly from jokes like this one *click* and partly from the fact that I really do sleep with remote controls on occasion. Yeah, that's right I've been falling asleep with the tv on. I find the background noise reassuring and it seems to take care of the problem of laying there awake. Though at times I wake up laying on them, (not as comfortable as it sounds). Last night was sort of fun. I must toss and turn a great deal. I found myself with legs twisted into sheets, with the remotes in there too.
Well, that's more than you possibly ever wanted to know about me....
I helped a friend move today - it went better than I thought it would. I misunderstood what a couple at my friend's old building had said - I thought they asked if she was moving (as we were taking cart fulls out to vehicles) and I thought (didn't say) "no, it's a hobby - we take all her stuff out for a drive and then bring it back. It's lots of fun. You should try it." Well as it turns out they were congratulating her on moving. But for some reason my snarky comment has had me cracking up off and on throughout the day.
Ever wonder if what you're thinking is actually funny or if it's just funny to you because you're tired/?
Disclaimer: I'm tired and can't sleep so this may be nonsensical.
Riddle: What I sleep with.
It's hard and long. It's smooth and has rounded corners that fit into my hand nicely. It's made out of plastic and is very sleek. It has controls on it and holds batteries...
it's a ......
..............
...............
.................
.,..............
...................
....................
Remote control. What did *you* think it was? Get your mind out of the gutter.
I admit I'm laughing at my own bad joke. No, I'm not perverted - I got the idea partly from jokes like this one *click* and partly from the fact that I really do sleep with remote controls on occasion. Yeah, that's right I've been falling asleep with the tv on. I find the background noise reassuring and it seems to take care of the problem of laying there awake. Though at times I wake up laying on them, (not as comfortable as it sounds). Last night was sort of fun. I must toss and turn a great deal. I found myself with legs twisted into sheets, with the remotes in there too.
Well, that's more than you possibly ever wanted to know about me....
I helped a friend move today - it went better than I thought it would. I misunderstood what a couple at my friend's old building had said - I thought they asked if she was moving (as we were taking cart fulls out to vehicles) and I thought (didn't say) "no, it's a hobby - we take all her stuff out for a drive and then bring it back. It's lots of fun. You should try it." Well as it turns out they were congratulating her on moving. But for some reason my snarky comment has had me cracking up off and on throughout the day.
Ever wonder if what you're thinking is actually funny or if it's just funny to you because you're tired/?
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
The non-belly dance portion of my Vegas vacation
Hey hey... I've been battling allergies for a few days now, but I wanted to write about my Vegas experience before the memories dull in my mind.
Beginning with the beginning - I saw the most beautiful lake on the descent into Vegas - after asking around I discovered that this was Lake Mead. From the air it was spectacular. The red sand blending into the pale blue water, and the water shading from pale blue, into pale teal, aqua, deep teal and dark blue. I can only imagine what it is like from the ground.
On arrival in Vegas - I found it to be a great deal more crowded than I expected. The stream of people in our hotel/casino was constant and check-in took almost an hour. Happily there were "dealertainers" near the hotel check in - these are blackjack dealers dressed as celebrity impersonators. Cheesy but quite effective at being entertaining. The dealers would occasionally take a break from cards, and "perform" a song on the stage in the middle of the blackjack area. During my stay I saw (fake) Shakira, Garth Brooks, Brett Michaels, Lady Gaga, Bette Midler and others. After a brief run in with housekeeping -which you can read about by clicking here - we were off and ready to go searching for food.
Margaritaville was next door and had delightful decor. The prices weren't that horrid - and I found the "lost shaker of salt". It was one of the best cheeseburgers that I have eaten, that or else I was that hungry. There was a volcano show and where else can you see a man on stilts making balloon hats? (alright, probably lots of places...)
I was surprised that blocks off of the strip there were convenience stores and dollar stores.
The public restrooms are disgusting, but the walkways by the casinos were amazing. Each casino seems to have it's own theme, and it's own vibe and the little strip malls that connect the casinos, carry on that theme. I saw Paris, Bellagio, Venitian, Harrah;s, Imperial Palace - those are the ones I can remember easily, and where our hotel had celebrity impersonator some casinos had exotic dancers as blackjack dealers.
On the wilder-than-exotic-dancers - note - there were a ton of people on street corners handing out "entertainer" cards. These people are called "card slappers". I don't know if I really get an under-age audience of readers here, but if you are curious you can read about these card slappers and type of material they hand out here. While I found it shocking, it also made me sad, both for the "entertainers" and for the people handing out the cards. I saw a man, asleep across his bag of "cards". An award winning photo - but one I decided to pass up.
Speaking of photos - what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. I guess my camera happened in Vegas - because - that's right - it stayed in Vegas. I'm still not sure if it was stolen or misplaced - but my address and phone were on it incase this should happen and an honest person should find it. Happily it wasn't my best camera - but it still bothers me. However I didn't let it spoil the rest of my trip. I do find it a little dubious that someone out there has photos of me - and my address. (And no, no dirty photos on there either - get your mind out of the gutter) :-)
Oh - if you go - go see the fountain show at the Bellaggio - it is fantastic. Stay for a few shows if you can.
I didn't do all that I wanted - that's alright since a big part of my trip was belly dance convention - but I would definitely go back.
The sights and sounds were amazing. I did drop a $20 in a slot machine - and did not win. I also dropped $5 in a crane machine with the same result.
Incase it's of interest to anyone - here';s the stuff on my "next time" list -
"Treasure" hunt at pawn shops, second hands, etc
See the countryside/desert
See "downtown" Vegas
Cruise the strip at night in a cab
And here's a list of links - you can read my reviews on trip advisor if you wish :-)
Big breakfasts
Battista's Italian
Fountains
Imperial Palace hotel
Serendipity
So.... who wants to go to Vegas?
Beginning with the beginning - I saw the most beautiful lake on the descent into Vegas - after asking around I discovered that this was Lake Mead. From the air it was spectacular. The red sand blending into the pale blue water, and the water shading from pale blue, into pale teal, aqua, deep teal and dark blue. I can only imagine what it is like from the ground.
On arrival in Vegas - I found it to be a great deal more crowded than I expected. The stream of people in our hotel/casino was constant and check-in took almost an hour. Happily there were "dealertainers" near the hotel check in - these are blackjack dealers dressed as celebrity impersonators. Cheesy but quite effective at being entertaining. The dealers would occasionally take a break from cards, and "perform" a song on the stage in the middle of the blackjack area. During my stay I saw (fake) Shakira, Garth Brooks, Brett Michaels, Lady Gaga, Bette Midler and others. After a brief run in with housekeeping -which you can read about by clicking here - we were off and ready to go searching for food.
Margaritaville was next door and had delightful decor. The prices weren't that horrid - and I found the "lost shaker of salt". It was one of the best cheeseburgers that I have eaten, that or else I was that hungry. There was a volcano show and where else can you see a man on stilts making balloon hats? (alright, probably lots of places...)
I was surprised that blocks off of the strip there were convenience stores and dollar stores.
The public restrooms are disgusting, but the walkways by the casinos were amazing. Each casino seems to have it's own theme, and it's own vibe and the little strip malls that connect the casinos, carry on that theme. I saw Paris, Bellagio, Venitian, Harrah;s, Imperial Palace - those are the ones I can remember easily, and where our hotel had celebrity impersonator some casinos had exotic dancers as blackjack dealers.
On the wilder-than-exotic-dancers - note - there were a ton of people on street corners handing out "entertainer" cards. These people are called "card slappers". I don't know if I really get an under-age audience of readers here, but if you are curious you can read about these card slappers and type of material they hand out here. While I found it shocking, it also made me sad, both for the "entertainers" and for the people handing out the cards. I saw a man, asleep across his bag of "cards". An award winning photo - but one I decided to pass up.
Speaking of photos - what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. I guess my camera happened in Vegas - because - that's right - it stayed in Vegas. I'm still not sure if it was stolen or misplaced - but my address and phone were on it incase this should happen and an honest person should find it. Happily it wasn't my best camera - but it still bothers me. However I didn't let it spoil the rest of my trip. I do find it a little dubious that someone out there has photos of me - and my address. (And no, no dirty photos on there either - get your mind out of the gutter) :-)
Oh - if you go - go see the fountain show at the Bellaggio - it is fantastic. Stay for a few shows if you can.
I didn't do all that I wanted - that's alright since a big part of my trip was belly dance convention - but I would definitely go back.
The sights and sounds were amazing. I did drop a $20 in a slot machine - and did not win. I also dropped $5 in a crane machine with the same result.
Incase it's of interest to anyone - here';s the stuff on my "next time" list -
"Treasure" hunt at pawn shops, second hands, etc
See the countryside/desert
See "downtown" Vegas
Cruise the strip at night in a cab
And here's a list of links - you can read my reviews on trip advisor if you wish :-)
Big breakfasts
Battista's Italian
Fountains
Imperial Palace hotel
Serendipity
So.... who wants to go to Vegas?
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Las Vegas Belly Dance Intensive 2012
Hi everyone! I recently got back from Las Vegas where I intended the belly dance festival and intensive. This post will mostly cover the bellydance portion of the trip, with the Las Vegas portion in another post.
It was so special! In addition to taking some really cool workshops I also bought a brand new prop called arcs - (imagine a really long veil on a hoop), and danced on stage at the festival ATS style. For those of you who aren't into belly dance ATS stands for American Tribal Style. A style of belly dance that is largely improvised. When you know the moves and the cues - you know enough to dance along. It was fun, but I realized I forgot some cues! :-)
I got to meet -
Princess Farhannah! She liked my dress which was lime green and neon pink.
Shira. Way back in 1996 or 1997 when I first had the idea to check out this bellydance thing... Shira's website is one of the first I found. I'm also featured on Shira's side project Bellydance Plus!
It was so special! In addition to taking some really cool workshops I also bought a brand new prop called arcs - (imagine a really long veil on a hoop), and danced on stage at the festival ATS style. For those of you who aren't into belly dance ATS stands for American Tribal Style. A style of belly dance that is largely improvised. When you know the moves and the cues - you know enough to dance along. It was fun, but I realized I forgot some cues! :-)
I got to meet -
Princess Farhannah! She liked my dress which was lime green and neon pink.
I also got to meet -
Shira. Way back in 1996 or 1997 when I first had the idea to check out this bellydance thing... Shira's website is one of the first I found. I'm also featured on Shira's side project Bellydance Plus!
Went to a lovely belly dance show, as well. Totally amazing.
The following is what I wrote to the event's coordinator, which goes into more details about the classes in particular.
Greetings LVBDIF! First off, thank you for organizing such a wonderful and enjoyable event. As someone who took a lot of business psych classes, I know that feedback is crucial, so I wanted to give you my thoughts on the classes and events I went to.
Class 1 - Upper body dynamics with Namira -
Fantastic class. It stayed true to it's description as Namira taught us about the meaning of dynamics and showed us some combos to demonstrate dynamics in the context of upper body moves.
Class 2 - Around the World Choreography with Cera
Huge disappointment. I'm a Christian - so when Cera told us that one of the moves we learned was used by an African tribe to worship their serpent deity - I left for a small amount of time hoping that the whole worshiping of serpents would be over when I came back. I arrived only to discover that we were now learning a whole dance from this serpent worshiping people. I left. I would have greatly appreciated a disclaimer before registering for this class. I would have registered for something else. I do hope that in the future if classes like this are offered there is a disclaimer or warning of some sort.
Class 3 - Free your feet with Elizabeth Strong
I really did enjoy Elizabeth. She's very kind and down to earth but I did find the title of the workshop a little misleading. I expected it to be about footwork for the tribal dancer - instead we learned part of a choreography. It was a bit intense for the time allowed. I did like that Elizabeth kept checking in with us though.
Saturday night show
- What an enjoyable event. I liked that we were able to vote on contestants. Great variety of dancers. Though I did hope to see ATS represented as well.
Class # 4 Shimmies and Layers with Heather Shoopman
What a fantastic class and instructor. Relaxed happy vibes from this class. Material was challenging but not impossible, explained in ways that made it easy to understand and a joy to learn. Heather was very nice later and let me copy her notes.
Class # 5 (forget the title) with Fuego Fusion
Thumbs up! Way up! Easily the most fun class I took while there. Edgy, original and oh did I mention.... fun?! The opening was attention getting and a nice way to demonstrate their point. The lecture was much needed, and the choreography tied in to theme and was taught in an easy to learn fashion.
vendors and through the day performances were lovely!
Thank you so much again and I hope you find my comments helpful.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Humming Bird Moth and Labrador sized bat
Hey hey everyone.
I saw one of these today -
It buzzed me, zipping right past my head on it's way to some flowers. It moved just like a humming bird - ate just like a humming bird and in fact had me convinced that it was a humming bird ... until I looked it up online. Click here for info
Alright, evidently it's a Sphinx moth.
Hm. Why does it bother me more that it's a moth? If it were a bird ... I'd be fine with it/think it's cute. Now that I know it's a moth - it just plain old bothers me and I find it a little creepy. Seems like an odd double standard or some weird lack of logic, but there you have it.
On any account I don't find it anywhere near as troubling as this -
Yeah. The caption pretty much sums up how I feel. I don't use foul language a whole lot, but I think the statement "oh hell no!" pretty much describes my feelings about this uhhhh labrador sized flying mouse.
There's an even better picture around of some hanging in trees outside a hotel. I would get back on the plane.
If I lived there (Philippeans) , I think I would possibly never, ever go outside.
Link to see picture of dog sized bat as babies
Of course, it helps to know why I react so strongly about this creature as I have bat-o-phobia......
It buzzed me, zipping right past my head on it's way to some flowers. It moved just like a humming bird - ate just like a humming bird and in fact had me convinced that it was a humming bird ... until I looked it up online. Click here for info
Alright, evidently it's a Sphinx moth.
Hm. Why does it bother me more that it's a moth? If it were a bird ... I'd be fine with it/think it's cute. Now that I know it's a moth - it just plain old bothers me and I find it a little creepy. Seems like an odd double standard or some weird lack of logic, but there you have it.
On any account I don't find it anywhere near as troubling as this -
There's an even better picture around of some hanging in trees outside a hotel. I would get back on the plane.
If I lived there (Philippeans) , I think I would possibly never, ever go outside.
Link to see picture of dog sized bat as babies
Of course, it helps to know why I react so strongly about this creature as I have bat-o-phobia......
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Here Comes Miss Honey Boo Boo
Welcome to "Everyone has one..." - the person blog of a crazy/artistic/introverted child of the eighties on the web.
The latest inspiration for for starting a blog this time comes from some thoughts I had about the TLC show "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo". Seriously I saw this title when it was on my newsfeed in a post from The Learning Channel.
... Could *you* pass up reading more about a show with a title like that? I didn't think so.
So, I followed the link and ended up watching a few webisodes in spite of myself. I found myself equal parts of repulsed and intrigued.
For those of you who weren't instantly fascinated to the point of looking it right away, "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" - follows Alanna aka. Miss Honey Boo Boo, a 6 year old beauty pageant contestant from Georgia. Her family is on the brink of poverty, and the show is a brutally honest look at the life of this family, showing that the six year old is a normal child, as well as a beauty pageant contestant.
+
I found the show fascinating. Interesting and colorful enough to hold my attention for over an hour.
It's honest. Instead of putting on false airs - this family has no qualms showcasing their poverty including buying food at an auction. The mom / family head even displayed her weight on live tv, a feat that a lot of women wouldn't do.
-
The girl's mom admitted that she herself wasn't the best looking. So, to me, it seems like an odd double standard. The little girl is pampered, prissed, made up and fluffed over. When done up for pageants she looks like a mini 30 year old. Instead of pressing her young daughter into such situations, shouldn't she spend a little more time on her own appearance?
The family buys food at auctions to save a dime. But what about travel, entry fees, manners and dance lessons and custom made gowns for little Alanna? What about the pet pig that Alanna got because she was upset because she didn't win. What do her two older sisters think of that while they're eating their stale twinkies?
And as more of a general statement - child pageants just seem... like an overall bad idea to me. Perhaps it's not so bad if the parents are involved and it can be a lesson about sportsmanship, but more often than not it seems to be about one-up-manship. Additionally teaching young, impresionable girls that looking pretty is all that matters seems like a very bad idea.
I'd be interested in knowing what other people think of this.
So, if you don't already know about it check out this link ...
Here Comes Miss Honey Boo Boo
The latest inspiration for for starting a blog this time comes from some thoughts I had about the TLC show "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo". Seriously I saw this title when it was on my newsfeed in a post from The Learning Channel.
... Could *you* pass up reading more about a show with a title like that? I didn't think so.
So, I followed the link and ended up watching a few webisodes in spite of myself. I found myself equal parts of repulsed and intrigued.
For those of you who weren't instantly fascinated to the point of looking it right away, "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" - follows Alanna aka. Miss Honey Boo Boo, a 6 year old beauty pageant contestant from Georgia. Her family is on the brink of poverty, and the show is a brutally honest look at the life of this family, showing that the six year old is a normal child, as well as a beauty pageant contestant.
+
I found the show fascinating. Interesting and colorful enough to hold my attention for over an hour.
It's honest. Instead of putting on false airs - this family has no qualms showcasing their poverty including buying food at an auction. The mom / family head even displayed her weight on live tv, a feat that a lot of women wouldn't do.
-
The girl's mom admitted that she herself wasn't the best looking. So, to me, it seems like an odd double standard. The little girl is pampered, prissed, made up and fluffed over. When done up for pageants she looks like a mini 30 year old. Instead of pressing her young daughter into such situations, shouldn't she spend a little more time on her own appearance?
The family buys food at auctions to save a dime. But what about travel, entry fees, manners and dance lessons and custom made gowns for little Alanna? What about the pet pig that Alanna got because she was upset because she didn't win. What do her two older sisters think of that while they're eating their stale twinkies?
And as more of a general statement - child pageants just seem... like an overall bad idea to me. Perhaps it's not so bad if the parents are involved and it can be a lesson about sportsmanship, but more often than not it seems to be about one-up-manship. Additionally teaching young, impresionable girls that looking pretty is all that matters seems like a very bad idea.
I'd be interested in knowing what other people think of this.
So, if you don't already know about it check out this link ...
Here Comes Miss Honey Boo Boo
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