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puddlelilies.com / proofreading negates the immediacy of feeling

Category: Dance

  • New computer is go.  As in “go real fast”.  I don’t have everything on it that is meant to be here (files, etc) because I haven’t had time to shift everything over from the old computer yet.  This is due to being busy with dance recital.  I’m still getting used to using the new touchy “mouse” thing that is new to me.  It’s a laptop, my new computer, so it has a touchy “mouse” area for making the cursor move and it’s weird.  I keep zooming instead of shifting the cursor around.  Vexing.  However, the enter key is right where my pinky thinks it should be, so that’s pleasing.  Same for the shift key, and the backspace key — another key I use often.  So far, so good.

    I’m reading “Late Nights on Air” by Elizabeth Hay.  I heard it suggested on the Cross Country Check-up summer book reading show.  As I listened, by eyes slowly shifted to my bookshelf, which happened to hold a copy.  I keep doing other things instead of reading, like dancing in recitals.  I’ll get back to it.

    Simon and Garfunkel has G.D. been postponed again

  • I wore the stupidest pants at dance tonight.  They are meant to be yoga pants but they are cheep and don’t breath and are too loose so I have to tie the string around my waist so they are tight, but in an annoying way!  And if I don’t tie the string they fall off.  When the string around my waist isn’t bothering me, I’m grossed out by the sweat forming in a layer on my legs and being slippery because the fabric of the pants doesn’t soak any of it in.  Ew and ew.

    Other than that, my favorite step of the evening was an arabesque with the arms hanging straight down in front.  It looks pretty when the teacher does it, and I hope it looks pretty on me.  (There were people in front of me so I couldn’t see in the mirror, and besides, I was concentrating too hard to look, and besides, *we’re supposed to be looking down* at that point.)

    And that’s all I want to talk about today.

  • We started the choreography for our dance last night. It was something we’d been working on already, two things, actually, glommed together into one, fast, mini-routine that is now a fraction of the finished piece. I like the theory behind the work, but my body didn’t appreciate the practice of it (e.g. it remained standing when everyone else was keeping up with the floor work). I’m sure I’ll get it, even the part where we fall to the floor in a half-split (I only realized that this is what the action was, and, in fact, something I have done before, later at home, when I tried it out on the carpet, and then lay down and had a little rest).

    My favorite* part is the needle, which is supposed to look like this:

    These are more along the lines of what Bonnie is good at, and which I am not. Note the flexibility, and the being-up-side-down-ness of it. I look more like this when I do it:

    So I’m going to have to work on making it look non-awful.  For the record, I do point my toe when I execute it.  Also for the record, Bonnie will probably not let me call what I do a “needle” so I shall think of this dance move as “dippy bird”.

    *When I say “favorite” I mean “Least Favorite”

  • There’s something that’s been bugging me for a while. In dance class (yes! this is a dance class story. Surprise.) In dance class there are two dancers who are super flexible, super enthusiastic but who have no control and no technique, and somehow they always gravitate towards me in class. One day, one of them, the girl one, did an arabesque or battement or something to the back and nearly kicked me in the face. I felt the wind. Actually, that’s happened twice. Today the boy one kicked me in the hand– this was kindof my fault since I had my arm out. The boy one kicks everyone though so I don’t take in personally. The girl one is always really close to me, and/or in my way so I have to teedle out of her way to prevent her kicking me/me landing on her. The boy one also practices whatever we are working on in the gap times in class, flinging his limbs and almost whacking people as he does so. Scary.

  • I just watched “chorus line” and I liked it a lot. A little spooky in the way we get to know all the characters, but the point of the show is all about how dancers in the chorus are meant to look the same. And in the end, aftere spending two hours getting individualized, they all come out in matching costumes and we can no longer tell them apart. Spooky! They do a very nice kick line though– the finale bit is why I like the show so much– but it’s so great because the characteristics of the dancers are wiped out. Poor dancers.

    Anyway my trip over here was just lovely except that it hasn’t been raining the whole time like the forecast said. So I’m wearing my big nerdy raincoat instead of my cute winter jacjet. Curses! But the real thing I was worried about was the ferry being late and having to wait for the bus in Tswassen for an hour because it only leaves on the hour and exactly on the hour even if the ferry is late. But the ferry was perfectly on time, and the were two busses waiting: one expressing right to the new Bridgeport skytrain hub. I like when transit corresponds pleasantly.

    I made a quick stop at Dressew as soon as I got here and picked up many circular knitting needles because they were cheep cheep cheep. Now I have to do many projects. But not during this trip as I have no yarns with me.

    The crowd staying in the room below me in this here hotel is loud. My bets are on me sleeping soundly anyway.

    Yaaar. Chorus Line.

  • I just saw some amazing dance. I’ll try to find a link later. The show started with some experimental theatre so I was a bit scared, not liking, just for the sake of example here, where the performer enters the crowd and starts singing to people. After this number, though, there was a pretty stable fourth wall so I was comfortable enough. Although at one point, there was a dancer who was just too into her self: “At least look out to the crowd a little,” I thought to myself. Then along comes the next number and I have a woman ringing a bell and chatting to me in gobbledygook. Right to me. I guess I had it coming, and she didn’t need me to chat back or anything, but you know, me and audience participation are at odds, I suppose.

    I met my friend Jane there. I know Jane from dance class and *her name is Jane*. Jane has already read the book I am reading and laughs when I am witty.

    Tomorrow I work hard for money. With money I purchase pre-made hamburger patties and eat two, which is too many. Ergo, money makes me fat. However money also pays for my dance lessons, which make me trim, so I should stop complaining and go to bed so I am refreshed for work tomorrow. Only four days before a flex day. I will eat delicious meat sandwiches for lunch and remember to go to walking club on Wednesday.

    Today in knitting I learned how to decrease, which is easy. I also learned how to increase, which has a trick.

  • I was so sleepy today. But then I had a rest for a few minutes on my bed and went to dance and it was a good class. Part of this was that there was no new material. The reason there was no new material was that the teacher didn’t have enough time to prep. The reason she couldn’t prep was because the studio was full of smoke when she arrived. The smoke was from the fire in the basement. The building is still standing but the smell of smoke was intense.

    I should write more.

  • I went to Duncan this weekend. Officially it was because I heard that there was ballet class on Thursday night, which I attended. However, I also took the opportunity to have a visit with Amber (with wine in my parent’s backyard) and also with Naomi (with mojitos in Nanaimo). I took the train from Duncan to Nanaimo and back again on Saturday, which made for a nice day trip. Naomi showed me around her new ‘hood, which is actually my parents’ old hood: when I told them where Naomi lived they conjured up memories of walking to school, where Dad used to live, and Uncle Alec’s house on Third (or Fourth) Street. It was sooo hot but I wore my hat and sunscreen. I also bought some trinkets! I bought them at the first two stores Naomi took me too, and she was sure I was going to buy the city out, but I bought nothing else after that.

    I also helped Mum with several projects: I set up her new cell phone (which is a lot like her old cell phone only with a camera) and printed envelopes for the dance school’s newsletter. I also figured out how NOT to have her cell phone on speakerphone, so I’m pretty helpful.

    I got home to find a tag on my door that indicated that MY new cell phone is ready to be delivered at some point when I am at home to receive it. I’M READY NOW!

    Mum and Dad drove me home today and took brother Jordan and I to early dinner/late lunch. We have decided to go see Star Trek at the IMAX on Tuesday. I’m a Big Fan of IMAX films. The only problem is going to be getting tickets (ahead of time) where Jordan wants to go after work tomorrow but I want to go home right away to collect my new phone.

    Mum brought some flowers for me and set them up in vases around my house. I have put the littler of the bouquets by my computer here and I am smelling roses. I have also fresh blueberries, zucchinis, cucumbers, beans, dill, parsley, and plums. The plums are significant as I MISSED THEM COMPLETELY last year. Mum and Dad came down in August last and said to me “the plums are all gone.” This year, I have many plums to consume, and I shall become sick of eating them, as is the proper summertime ritual!

    It’s soooo hot. Since getting home I have mostly just lay on my bed with my fan directed on to me, or sat in my chair with the fan directed on me. Eating plums. So decadent.

    Oh. At ballet class, Pam is trying to get her students nice and flexible and so is having them put their feet up on the bar (one at a time) in a nice stretch. Having not had a class in 1.5 months, I thought to myself “No way. You can’t make me.” But I did anyway, and I was sore. But not too bad now.

    I’ve brought back with me all my HYD books to read. Summertime reading! I’ve also been requesting things like mad from the library, and half of them have come ready all at the same time. Summertime is for reading! (Now that I’m not in school, anyway. When I was in school, summertime was for TV and sewing!)

  • It was probably a good idea on my part to come to Duncan and help with the recitals. It was very theraputic, everyone likes me (for the most part) and I got to use my “stern voice” which I don’t get to use very often. Not to mention, you know, pretty hard work and distracting and so keeping me from thinking of my current woes. But also have discovered some perspective: I left these people in Duncan a year and a half ago; they and I went on with our lives; I can return and they still like me; the more I have to leave people behind and start again, the more people I will meet that like me that I can go back to who will help me through woes as needed. I’m ok.

    I’ve scheduled an interview for a new position first thing on Monday. This may not have been the most prudent of plans as I predict a number of messages in my voicemail. However I think I start training my replacement on Tues and I don’t know what other chaos (I think I have a meeting) may arise.

    I’ve worked myself in to the place where I feel excitement for both being unemployed come July, and for having a new job soon. This is an improvement over 6 or 7 days ago when I was still grieving the last job. Vacation was a good idea. I return to Victoria tomorrow after some Father’s Day food.

    I’m eating a peanut butter sandwich off a plate right now. The peanut butter has sugar added to it which for some reason I don’t like as much as plain, nothing added to it, peanut butter. I don’t like peanuts in plain form, but I don’t mind peanut butter, as long as it’s just plain. I don’t mind when there is stuff added, as I am enjoying this sandwich quite well, I would just prefer the other.

    P.S. I also have grapes.

  • I just typo-ed an “o” into my name, making me “Loindsie”. A little better than MS spellcheck’s “Landsite”.

    Vacation day whatever. I’ve lost count.

    Yesterday Mum and I planned to get Subways to take with us to the theatre (instead of the delicious chicken sandwiches I had made the days previous). Mum decided that since we were downtown anyway, we should also go to a restaurant for lunch. This makes sence to her: since we are buying our dinner we night as well buy our lunch too. I miss a few steps of this logic but, you know, go along with it. We went to White Spot. This was a mild adventure as the parking lot of White Spot is being torn up in the proocess of the new London Drugs being built behind, but we managed to get in, and despite all the noice outside, was quiet inside the restaurant. (Little review there.)

    The rest of yesterday was the same as the days before with rehearsal. Rehearsals are always the same. My job is to get the groups of dancers upstairs and in the wings before their dance starts. And keeping anyone who is not meant to dance yet downstairs. Also keeping non-dancers who just want to watch downstairs. Most of the school knows these latter things already, and for the most part I just ignore the two or three who sneak up now just because the show usually survives with them there. Mum usually is around anyway and she shoos them all away, or in some cases tells them to sneak better when they come up to the stage.

    Also normal is the dance teachers getting antsy about where their groups are. They’re probably antsy about other things too, being recital week, but I can usually tell them where their groups are (usually the group in question is in the process of being gathered downstairs, getting ready to come up when it’s time.)

    I watched my old jazz/hip hop class on stage. I have the song from their dance stuck in my head. I also saw my old tap class, but I could only recognize a few of them as their costume included a mask. So they were all saying “Hi! How are you? What’s up?” so while I could guess why they sounded like they knew me, I didn’t know who it was.

    Today is extra rehearsal day for those groups who need extra practice, or in the case of my former ballet class, some time to get comfortable on stage. (By that I mean that they looked pretty good but just need to stop looking terrified;) I’m going to go for some of the time but then I’m going to meet Amber and wander off with her for untold adventure.