....Life, the Universe and Everything

Gentlemen (and me!)....Start your engines.....

Bastet — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:36:46 GMT

The insanity continues! I'm leaving at 8am tomorrow (Saturday) to drive from Albuquerque, NM to Syracuse, NY. I'm spending the next three weeks camping around between Syracuse and Albany while conducting my disseration fieldwork. 3 weeks of mapping and rock collecting--wha-hoo!! (Excited or nervous or tired....I'm not sure anymore) Don't feel bad if you try to get a hold of me and get nothing for a while. Nothing personal, I'm just in the boonies. See ya later!

I'm proud of myself....

Bastet — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:58:35 GMT

Well, first of all, I've managed to start re-creating my performance for Pharos based on using the nylon fans. More importantly (with a funny story, to boot), my confidence is soaring after performing at Gypsy Festival in Madrid, this weekend. Here's the reason: My first piece was an incredibly slow double fan, followed by some precision flow/pop-n-lock. A dust storm kicks up.....(why do I live in the desert?!) As I'm dancing, a huge thorn stabs one of my toes! Owwww! But....instead of flinching, grimacing, or stopping to rip it out of my foot, I gracefully swooped both fans down as I went into a deep "Mardi Love Style" pose, pulled the barb out (with the fan still in my hand!) and kept going. After the performance, I asked my friend, "So, did you see me yank a thorn out of my toe?" I described to her when I did it, and she exclaimed, "Wow, I just thought you were strikin' a pose!" Sweet.... After the performance, we're talking with a bunch of people, I pivot my upper body to point at something, and.......snap! The strap to my top spontaneously combusted! So, here I am, holding my top on with my arms, trying to finish the conversation and get the hell out of there before I lose it! My friend and I leave. I'm in a fit of laughter, trying to avert my eyes from anyone that might see me and want to chat.... We run behind a tree to use my backup ribbon (thank god I always carry a backup) to lace through the D-rings on my top. Then, we look over to see the fire department staring and giggling. Awesome! But hey, I made it through all the weird mishaps and everyone really liked my performance this weekend. I've also decided that I'm going to go get some double sided tape for next weekend. Just in case...... ;-)

I can't believe this is happening....

Bastet — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:54:42 GMT

I can't believe that after taking a year to grow a pair, splurge, and order the custom fans that I've been wanting for so long..... ....they're not the right fans. Let me put this into perspective. In 1.5 weeks, I'll be performing live with Raquy and the Cavemen at the Pharos Live! Show. The song I'm dancing to is this amazing piece...it is quiet and mysterious, moving into a regal passion, then heart-wrenching, then fast and bursting with intensity, and ending with a mixture of all these emotions. As soon as I heard it, I knew it was what I should dance to. I had this vision of old tarnished metal, mixed with cream and gold lace, and sparkling emerald green and gold.....and then, the fans. Gold on the outside fading to white on the inside. Silk, so that they would float down as I revealed them for the first time during the performance. Like a sigh. You can imagine my excitement building as my costume and choreography has taken shape over the past several weeks. There was a knock on my door this morning. A small, cylindrical package from China. My hands were shaking as I opened it. Slowly, the gorgeous silk inside was revealed. First, the firey red-yellow, then, the white to orange-gold. I pull them out of the package, untie the silk bow around them. The silk drops away.....and more silk and more silk......to reveal not my fans, but fan veils. I just stared. Torn. They are both beautiful in their own right, but my vision is shattered. It took nearly a month for me to get them. It's too late. I can't make some myself because I don't have the time to order staves and silk, learn to paint silk, and do it. I have a back-up pair, but they are nylon. They are beautiful as well......but it's just not the same. So now, I'm sitting here.....emotionally overloaded. Pissed. Upset. Trying to come up with a solution. Feeling like anyone who looks at this or hears me talk about it will only think of me as over-reacting or that I'm being a diva. But the fact is....this is like waiting for a new prosthetic hand, only to receive a foot. Fans are like an extension of my fingers. They are not just some prop to me. It's like showing up for your wedding day, only to realize that your groom is the wrong man! I'm not sure if I can get any more esoteric or metaphorical. Somehow, I have to figure out how I can be okay with this.

Someone please justify what I've just done....

Bastet — Thu, 08 May 2008 05:41:09 GMT

Alright, I'm cheap. I'll admit it. But...there are these fans that I've been wanting for over a year now...custom dyed silk on both sides.....mmmmmmmm.....But....I could only justify spending that kind of money for something big. ...Say, so that I would have amazing fans to go with my new amazing costume (as yet unrevealed!) for the Pharos Live! show in June. Alright. But...the fan colors I REALLY wanted don't go with my new amazing costume, so I needed to order them in a color scheme that would match. But....i REEEEEALLY want them in the original colors. So..... I just ordered both! Ahhhhhh!!!!!! To be fair, I'm sure I will love them both when I get them. Now, my only fear is that I will love the set I REEEEALLY wanted more and will completely change my costume in order to match it. And I mean COMPLETELY. My Pharos Live! costume is greens and golds...a very old hollywood-gone-tribal-earth-goddess look and I ordered gold on the outside fading to white silk fans. *sigh* And the first choice fans are red fading to yellow (super intense!), but I know they just don't fit with my performance piece. I needed something that will make people sigh every time I move, and I think my planned look will work. Alright, I guess I'm just verbalizing my internal debate here. Wow, now that I've actually thought about it, the gold fans and my green/gold costume is going to be incredible. It's just warm enough to be exciting, and yet the greens will reflect the calm, regal postures I'm going to incorporate. Can you tell I'm excited?! Alright, I think I've done enough ranting. I hate spending money, but I feel like I deserve it. I mean, come on....over a YEAR of coveting the same material possession so much that my chest tightens every time I even think about it? It's time. Now, the impatient waiting period while they are made and shipped from lands afar.....

I'm coming back!

Bastet — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 23:42:26 GMT

I've been going through a lot of changes lately, most of which have been uncomfortable or unpleasant. However, the wind is changing and I with it. I've started "The Artist's Way" after being encouraged to do it for several months now. Already, I feel better. More focused. More like the "me" I used to be. One of the unpleasant changes that have taken place over the past year is that I've gained more weight than I had intended (bellydancers are great with curves, but it was getting bad again). As a woman who just 5 years ago was 200+ lbs and lost 70 lbs, I have a very real fear of any weight gain. Due to my revitalization, I'm working out and eating healthy again (started Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet again to help get me back on track) and in just the past week, I've lost 1.5 inches from my waist! This puts me only 1.5 more inches away from my previous glory before regaining the weight! So watch out......'cause here I come.

Who would do this to you?!?!?!?!?

Bastet — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 04:40:43 GMT

I lost my entire computer today. Four Trojan Horses from one website that was for research. Now I am without any of my research, all of my pictures and programs, down a term paper and all of the figures I created to go with it, I've lost all of the music and videos, and everything of my husband's that was on the computer. All this, just in time for 2 term papers, 1 homework, 2 final exams, and 115 exams to grade. Needless to say, I wish it were this morning again so I would never have tried researching that statistic I "just HAD to HAVE." (insert obsenity here)

Off to Denver

Bastet — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 20:55:43 GMT

Hi All- I'll be in Denver for a conference until Wednesday (lots of new geology to look at--yeah!). See ya!

Just when I needed it...

Bastet — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 23:06:55 GMT

...I saw this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7z5b39YEi0&mode=related&search= Nothing I can write here can express my thoughts better.

Bastet is Moving!

Bastet — Thu, 31 May 2007 15:57:22 GMT

Life will be moving at break-neck speed in the next few months for me. Next week, I'm heading up to Boone, NC to teach for Duke University TIP. With the exception of a 4-day break in early July, I'll be there until July 29th. Then....the BIG MOVE. On August 1st, my husband and I are off to the southwestern US so I can start my PhD in Albuquerque, NM while my husband starts a pre-doctoral fellowship through the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Things are definitely going to be crazy for a while, but we're both really excited! Please be patient if it takes me a little while to get back to you! Thanks for all your support! ~Bastet

Fan Cues Workshop

Bastet — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 16:08:14 GMT

Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone! I had an amazing time! It's been so long since I felt that much passion, creativity, and positive energy in one room! Everyone was absolutely wonderful to work with and I hope I have the opportunity to dance with any or all of the ladies who came someday! (Fan improv, maybe?--hee hee) And...my muscles faired pretty well! Honestly, though, I've been sore just from the workout on Saturday. Ah well, this is what happens when you take 2 months off! Time for this dancer to get back into shape!

Here goes nothin'....

Bastet — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 15:10:57 GMT

I've been quite apprehensive about bellydancing since my injury. Over the past 7 weeks, I've worked my way up to teaching classes again, but was skeptical about how I would fare at a Jahara Phoenix rehearsal/practice session. Well, I went to one yesterday, convinced that my muscles would die on me within a half hour--but they kept up pretty well! I made it through nearly 2 hours of practice, and although my form wasn't as spot on as I'd like it to be, I'm pleased. I was also relieved to wake up this morning with only a few trigger points (no doubt, as a result of dancing yesterday) that I was able to deactivate with just 15 min of therapy! This is truly a leap from the hour+ of therapy I would need to do just 2 weeks ago! This is also great news to have on Mark and I's first wedding anniversary! I've heard that many feel as if their wedding day was the most perfect of all their days, but in all honesty, I prefer everyday since our wedding. It was nice to wake up this morning and reflect on the racing train that is the past year of my life and decide that, for all its faults, I loved every minute of it because Mark was right there with me.

Better News

Bastet — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 16:46:31 GMT

As sad as I was to have missed Southern Oasis, it was a good idea. Instead of dancin' like the crazy person I am, I laid in bed or on my couch and micro-massaged my tender muscles for many, many hours this weekend. Finally....no stabbing pains! Just an o-so-pleasant aching feeling and the occasional "side-stich" feeling, as if I worked out too much. I'm on the road to recovery! To those of you who were at S. Oasis, I heard wonderful things about the performances! Anyone get video?

Sad, sad news

Bastet — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 15:38:37 GMT

Here is the difference between younger me and current me. A younger me would have been in enormous amounts of pain and discomfort and have practiced and performed anyway. The current, wiser me has cut out all physical activity for a week and a half and gone to see a professional in the hopes of healing myself. (For those of you who have known me for a while, you'll know that I NEVER rest NOR go to a doctor or therapist unless absolutely necessary.) A quote from my massage therapist: "You really messed yourself up." Quite true. I fell 2 months ago at work, which apparently caused my pelvis to be knocked slightly out of alignment. While practicing nearly every day on already strained muscles, I ended up completely over-straining my obliques, transverse abdominus, and iliopsoas muscles. So, I've decided I can't perform at Southern Oasis this year. This is truly upsetting for me since I was looking forward to 1) the wide array of amazing performances guaranteed at Southern Oasis and 2) I had a really awesome performance lined up for it (you theatrical dancers would've loved it!). An older, wiser me knows this is the right choice, but I can't help being so upset about it. Those kindred spirits out there.....you busybodies, you who feel the beat of a drum pounding through your soul, you who offer your dance to others as a way of expressing emotions most people do not have words for or cannot express themselves....you know how not being able to dance is as painful as the reason you are unable to dance. Contrary to my nature, though, I am forcing myself to continue therapy and rest so that I can come back to dancing in a few weeks with a new vitality to share with you all.

Athens Winter Hafla 2007

Bastet — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 15:24:20 GMT

To sum it up....Amazing! It was wonderful to see how much all of us have grown as dancers over the past year (since the 2006 hafla). I apologize for being somewhat anti-social at the hafla, I have had a pretty bad cold and after giving a workshop and a private lesson on Saturday, I could barely keep myself upright and undulating. (That's my excuse for doing so much floorwork Saturday night!) I hope to see you all at the Southern Oasis Hafla in March and at Tribal Con!

Asian Fusion Fan Workshop

Bastet — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 15:16:50 GMT

I just wanted to thank everyone for their support regarding my first workshop (both those that came and those that helped get the word out). It was such a wonderful experience to see so many beautiful dancers manipulating the fans in ways I've only dreamt of in the past. To everyone who attended: You all did a fantastic job (no pun intended, I promise!). I loved every minute of it and I can't wait to give another workshop! Michaelle took a few photos and I'll try to post them in the next couple of days.