Verbal Eruptions

Dance From the Heart Board Changes

ayana — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:14:31 GMT

We have had a change in the leadership of Dance From the Heart, and I'm very excited to announce the following: Shelley Fahrenthold (Silke) is now the Vice President. Shelley has served as the organization's Secretary/Treasurer since 2007, and I am pleased to have her move into this role and continue representing DFTH with style. :) And, with Shelley's promotion, we have filled her former position. Our new Secretary is... *drum roll* Andrea Parks-Vandyke. Andrea has 8 years experience in the non-profit arena, and currently works for Houston's local PBS channel. Her addition to the board will be a huge bonus to the organization, and we are very fortunate to have her on the team. With our 2011 show upcoming in September, we will have additional members joining us. The advisory board is looking promising, and I am feeling very fortunate to have found so many folks with extensive non-profit experience to work with us. We're ready to start a growth spurt, and the New Year looks really good!! Thanks to all that continue to support us... if you'd like to be a part of the 2011 show, "Domari", please contact me. If you would like to expand on DFTH by creating a presence in your area... please contact me! Sincerely, Anne Caruthers (Ayana) President

New classes forming!

ayana — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:28:32 GMT

It's taken a while to make sure I'm teaching in the format that I began almost four years ago with Dance From the Heart, but here we go! I have some new classes forming, to be started in August. I'm targeting Weds nights, but will finalize that this week. Let me know if you are interested! ayana@ayanahouston.com Introduction to Bellydance Theatre This beginner class is geared to those that wish to perform, and teaches the foundation of the bellydance movement vocabulary as well as music interpretation and theatrical principles. You will learn beginner bellydance movement, with some elements common to many forms of dance. You will learn to understand the structure of Middle Eastern music, and to identify the instruments included. You will also learn some of the basic principles of theatrical performance, as it applies to dance in a controlled venue. (meaning a professional theatre, not a restaurant/club, studio setting, etc) This is an open registration class to begin in August 2010, with no previous experience required. Minimum of 5 students to make the class. Dance Theatre - Intermed/Adv While technique and combinations from multiple forms of dance are a part of the learning experience in dance theatre class, the real purpose of this instruction is to take you beyond your technique to focus on the elements of performance. This is a production oriented class, with the purpose of developing high quality pieces for performance in 2011. Designed for dancers with at least two years experience in bellydance, you will work with Ayana's signature choreographies to develop a character for each story to be told through dance. Understand the structure of the choreography and how utilizing elements of dance along with components of the Delsarte technique add complexity and depth to each piece; utilize theatrical exercises to emotionally connect to your music and character; learn how to tell your story within your character and utilize your own experience to communicate with the audience. Learn blocking and staging techniques to make all of your performances riveting. Registration for this class is by audition/consultation only, scheduled to begin in August, 2010. Minimum of 5 students to make the class.

Teaching at 3rd Coast 2011!!

ayana — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:17:28 GMT

I'll be teaching at 3rd Coast in 2011, which I'm very excited about. My class will be on Saturday from 2:15 - 4:15, and surprise, surprise... it will be a music-related class! 80% lecture, 20% movement, let's break some music down and have some fun! Here's the info on the class: Let The Music Move You This two hour class is designed for all levels of dancers that are struggling with breaking down complex layers of music to answer the eternal questions: WHAT do I dance to in this music? Do I follow the rhythm... the melody... an instrument... the singer? What's the name of that instrument I hear? How do I know what type of movement goes with a particular instrument or mood? Ayana will help you identify instruments, help you train your ear to separate the layers in your music, and show you how to tell your story using the music and your emotion as your guide. Use this information when developing choreography or as a tool to increase your improv skill and comfort level - no matter the dance style, this class can help you sort it all out! Class materials will be handed out, but bring a paper and pencil/pen for taking notes. This class is primarily lecture, but will include some exercises to help you use what you're being taught immediately. If you have a piece of music that's been challenging you, bring it along and get some suggestions in an open forum! Due to the level of interaction required in this class, it is limited to ten students. All Level – 10 Student Max – Back Stage Dressing Area - 2 hours

A change for Qantara

ayana — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 05:49:41 GMT

Three years ago, I started a dance company... a great group of ladies have been involved - some are still around, some have moved on. Each has made a valuable contribution to the group, and we have made new friends along the way. As with all things, over time, situations change. That is the case with me. I know so many people in transitional phases in their life, and I am no stranger to this dynamic. With that being said... I am stepping down as the Artistic Director of the Qantara Dance Company. This has not come about because of any disagreement, conflict or dissatisfaction with the wonderful ladies with whom I have shared this time. It is simply about the paths we are on, and the fact that mine is turning in a different direction. Our performance at Sirrom tonight was my last official one with the group. I am leaving the company in the capable hands of Aisa, who I am sure will continue to lead its growth and success. I would like to thank all of the ladies of Qantara for their friendship, their talents, their contributions... their hard work... and most of all, for their support and understanding of the changes in my life that brought about this decision. Wtih deepest affection... Ayana (Anne Caruthers)

Flood...

ayana — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:21:41 GMT

Well, this morning was sure a surprise. Hail and lightning woke me up at 3:30... then, I took two steps out my front door and was ankle deep in water. My car has water in the floorboards, and my work laptop drowned quietly in the floorboard.... as did my dance shoes for ballroom. I've bailed out the car twice, and the water is still up past the sidewalk, my street a river. Please... no more rain tonight!!!! Got water in the garage, but not in the house too badly... but more rain and I'll be needing a water rescue. About 11 inches of rain out here on the West side, I heard... and from my neighborhood's appearance.. it's obvious!!

A Legacy of Books...

ayana — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 00:47:48 GMT

I spent the morning with my father. First we had breakfast, then we went back to his house to continue the process of cleaning and reorganizing things to fit his life as it is now, his status that of a widower. When my mother passed in February, there was so much to do. She had been in a long term care facility for 6 months, and the first consideration was getting her belongings back home, getting the house presentable for the visitors after the service, and getting through the first few weeks without her in our lives. Now, we've begun the process of cleaning out the house, including her belongings. It's an important process for my father (and for me, I suppose) in putting things into perspective. I cherish the jewelry of hers that my father gave me... things she had been very vocal about wanting me to have that had such great value to her. Today, however, I was in the middle of what she considered her greatest legacy... her books. My mother was a voracious reader... we shared that hunger for words... for knowledge... for a fantastic escape from the mundane by losing ourselves between the pages of a book, no matter the genre. My father needed to clean out the office so that he could have more room to work. He's not a reader like my mother and I... he reads what he must, but not for pleasure. So, he asked me to come over and start packing books, taking what I wanted immediately, and preparing the rest for storage until I had the shelves up to display them all. I knew my mother had a lot of books. For years they were stacked two high and two deep on every available shelf. Hard cover, paperback... you name it. Today, I was stunned at how large that library really was. I packed 10 large boxes (the weight just on the edge of what I could carry) of books today, and that wasn't even a third of what was there. I've brought two boxes home, containing those most precious to me, that I think I can fit into my own overflowing bookcases. I will have to buy many more bookcases to hold this legacy. I realized that you really learn a lot about someone when you go through their library. You learn what they think about... what they enjoy... what piques their interest... and sometimes what horrifies them. You learn a bit about how their mind works, and you learn what you have in common with them. It was an exercise of remembering my mother in a different way... one more poignant in some respects than I have experienced thus far. Going through her life of collected books made me remember so many discussions... things we talked about for hours. As I packed box after box... every novel ever written by Tom Clancy, John Grisham, James Patterson, James Clavell, Wilbur Smith, Ayn Rand, Dean Koontz, Louis L'Amour, Irving Wallace, James Michener, Jeffrey Archer... oh my word, the list goes on and on... political thrillers, murder mysteries, religion, philosophy, history, romance, biographies, spy novels, westerns, poetry, comedy... I was inundated with author after author... my head was swimming by the time I'd emptied the third shelf. I was looking at fiction, non-fiction... she wasn't a big fan of sci-fi.. that's where my bookcases take over. I was looking at series of books that had 50 titles for each author... and she collected every last one of them. Throwing a book away is a sin paramount to murder in my home, and I learned that from my mother. I found old books... "Sonnets from the Portugese"... a first edition hardcover; "Constantine"... also a first edition hardcover... and some odd discoveries... the Book of Mormon (my mother wasn't Mormon) being one. My description of these discoveries is as random and frenetic as the actual event. I don't know how to describe the feelings I went through as I looked at all these books... it was such a huge range of emotion. Overall, it was positive. I recognized a new way to keep my mother with me, to remember her in the pages of those books, knowing that she too enjoyed every quiet moment lost in those fictional stories or intrigued by the history and ideas presented in each non-fiction selection... and I look forward to blending the past with the present, and adding more in the future. I won't be the old cat lady in the neighborhood, I'll be the book lady... many of my friends on shelves surrounding me, characters I've grown to love over the years... enemies I've learned to despise because of their actions... heroes I admire more than I could ever express... and sorrow at loss so keenly described between the covers. And, when I find the next house in which I must live, you can bet that there will be an entire room lined with bookcases to hold the ever-expanding collection; and they will be catalogued as they are placed alphabetically, by author, on the shelves. :) Thank you Mother, for your legacy of books.

Officially Employed...

ayana — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 05:32:56 GMT

My background check and drug screen results came in today, and I am officially an employee of FMC Technologies as of Monday, Feb 16th. I've been there since mid December as a consultant, and they have been working really hard to convince me to work there permanently. I finally caved in and said yes... in this economy, I would be foolish to hold out for the other position I was hoping for, when I'm not getting communication from them. So, I'm now in the oil business. Manager of Disaster Recovery and Quality Assurance... with all the associated headaches. LOL Hey, it's a job that pays the bills and allows me to continue to pursue my dance goals. I've been incredibly fortunate - I see my friends losing their jobs all around me, and I was only out of work for a month, still on severance when I found a new job. They were very understanding about my surgery and the time I had to take off... and they never wavered in their desire to hire me. The only down side... they only pay once per month. I haven't had to work that way in a long time... and while it's not my preference, I can live with it. It's supposed to be a good company, but then so was AIG. It's all a crap shoot at this point, so I'm just going to roll with it, baby. :)

Home again...

ayana — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:54:53 GMT

Just home from the hospital, and all is well... I'm minus one half a thyroid gland, but all was benign, and no ongoing drug therapy required! A bit of discomfort still, and I can't drive until I go back to the doctor sometime next week, but they gave me good drugs to alleviate any ongoing pain. I haven't seen the incision yet - the stitches are covered with tape I'm to leave on, so I'm not really sure how big it is. However, I was told that because I"m fair, it will probably be all but invisible. :) Thanks to everyone for the cards, flowers, hospital visits, well wishes and overall positive energy sent my direction. It was greatly appreciated, and obviously worked wonders! Love to all...

PC Crash and Burn

ayana — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 00:54:30 GMT

Ok, what's the worst thing that can happen to a girlie geek? Besides losing her iPod, that is? Her pc crashing. Hard. On Monday evening, when rebooting my machine, I got the dreaded system corruption error that let me know I was well and truly screwed. No cigarette or nuttin. What a sck, sick feeling. I was in the middle of some important projects, very time sensitive, and all the data *poof* disappeared. That was a half a terabyte of drive space. New Year's Eve, I managed to recover data off of one of my 250GB drives... really the more important of the two... the websites I created and/or maintain, my personal financial information, music, choreography, short stories I've written, years worth of photos... the stuff that would have made me really and truly cry if I'd lost it. However... I lost my email. I lost 2 very important project folders that, like an idiot, I hadn't moved off my desktop yet. Yes, I knew better... but I was foolish and I paid for it. I did have a backup of my email from the time frame of Hurricane Ike, so I'll only end up losing about 3 months of mail, but still... do you KNOW how much email I get in a day???? The next two weeks will not see me online (or anywhere) much... I have been working a contract job for the last couple of weeks, and next week is the last week I committed to them... so, they've asked me to work even LONGER hours (for which they're happy to pay me time and a half) so that I can get all this documentation finished before I go. A 420 page Operations Guide, at least 100 process flows... geez. The week after that (the 12th), I go into the hospital for thyroid surgery. I'm not sure yet how long my activities will be restricted, but I know I can't work that whole week. Dancing? Don't know yet.. hopefully not too long. I've missed dancing the last couple of weeks because of holidays/working multiple jobs/family, etc... and I'm out for another 2 weeks at minimum. :( I miss Qantara, I miss ballet... I feel disconnected. I don't like it. So if you've sent me email recently and I haven't responded, chances are I lost it. If you email me in the near future, chances are it will take me a while to get back to you because I'm completely buried with work, and then on good drugs after surgery. LOL I hope everyone had a happy holiday season... mine was crazy, as usual... :)

First Day on the job..

ayana — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 04:44:58 GMT

I started the new contract gig today... I got to the office at 7:45, and found that everyone was at an offsite meeting at the Greenspoint Hilton! So, off I trotted to the hotel, to find a room full of people I don't know, except for one guy I interviewed with. Later, the three ladies that also interviewed me arrived. I get introduced to everyone, and bang - off we go into an all day session on their processes, which I have been hired to document, since they are bringing their formerly outsourced service support in-house. And, I am to document the workflow for those processes as well... and identify gaps... and make recommendations for how to deal with them. Lordy. What a day!!! That is what this entire week will be about, and they want all the critical process documentation done by Jan 1. OMG. When am I going to be able to do my Xmas shopping???? They are a nice group of folks, but some of these youngsters seem pretty new at Infrastructure Management... I guess that's why they needed me!

FUDGE

ayana — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 19:35:23 GMT

Christmas around my house means food that tastes amazing, but is really bad for you in any kind of quantity. LOL Everything is made fresh, in my kitchen, and the whole house smells of cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate... you name it. Cookies, brownies, pies, cakes, breads and candies. Every year that I open The King's Table, fudge is always the big seller. This year is pretty light - only about 50 lbs going out of the kitchen... when it's usually over 100. That's ok, though... I'm not complaining one bit! I try to make a new flavor every year that will appeal to people.. be a little unexpected and perk up some taste buds. I do all the base flavors: the Plain Old Chocolate Fudge is made with semi-sweet chocolate... but I also do milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate and peanut butter. When I started adding new flavors, I added cashew butter fudge, almond butter fudge, raspberry fudge... and of course, I'll do mint in any of them (peppermint or spearmint)... any kind of nut or dried fruit (I've made white chocolate fudge with cherries... that was interesting)... and I do specialty combinations - turtle fudge, rocky road fudge, and reese's fudge. I've made creme de menthe fudge... butterscotch fudge (icky - but it was a special order, and the guy loved it)... the only one I haven't been able to make work was pumpkin fudge. But, I'm determined to make that work eventually. It's only a matter of time.. it is me against the pumpkin, and I vow to win the battle. This year, two new flavors... one of which was a complete surprise, and has become one of my favorites. Caramel fudge was one of the new ones... but the surprise flavor.. Cinnamon. Not chocolate at all... cinnamon fudge. OMG. It's amazingly good. It's not like red hot candy kind of cinnamon... it's more a natural cinnamon flavor - very earthy and just melt in your mouth good. It's going to be very popular with cinnamon lovers... it's being doled out in small portions to testers now... which means that anyone that comes over to visit gets fudge shoved in their face. Needless to say, I get a lot of visitors this time of year. LOL Somebody has to try this crap, and if I do it, I'll gain every pound back that I worked so hard to lose!!! So, I share the lard... umm, I mean LOVE... ;-) Don't worry - you can use my reformer after you down the fudge, to work off the love. LOL

Feast or Famine

ayana — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 02:38:24 GMT

I had an interview earlier this week for a contract position at FMC Technologies (oil & gas – subsea). It’s not the job I would choose, but it’s a job I can do easily – a technical writer’s position, documenting Infrastructure processes and identifying procedural gaps, as well as making recommendations for process improvements. I had turned it down because of the commute and because I’m holding out for the Director’s position at another company, which is looking very promising. I evidently made a strong impression at FMC, and they’ve been pushing long term (full time) opportunities to convince me to take the job. They know they’re asking me to do something that I’m overqualified for, but they also think that my background means I can do the job well. They’ve been giving me the hard sell, big time. This evening, the recruiter called me and made an offer I couldn’t refuse. They have asked me to come in for a couple of weeks (until I hear something from the other company, or start working there) to get them through an immediate deadline. They understand my reasons for holding out for that position, but believe that I’m a good fit for their group and have the perfect skill set they need. And, if the other position doesn’t come through for any reason, they want me to stay on there and develop/implement both their Change Management process and Disaster Recovery plan/testing process. They also don’t have a problem with my having to be out for the week after my surgery on Jan 12th, should the contract go that long, so they’re really bending over backward to bring me on. Given all of that, I really couldn’t say no… the pay is good (and there will be a good bit of overtime needed to meet their deadline) and with the website and catering I’ve taken on, it will keep my bank account happy through the holiday season and beyond. If I like the place (and they still like me after working with me every day…LOL), and the Director's position doesn’t come through, then I have a job. They wanted me to start tomorrow. LOL I said no, but told them I’d be happy to start Monday, after I finish up the website job I’ve been doing that goes live tomorrow. So.... all the news is good... except that I have to rearrange some fudge deliveries to evening times!!!

Holy crap - snow in Houston!!!

ayana — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:47:03 GMT

We came out from rehearsal tonight, and the cars were blanketed in snow!!! Now, for those up North, this is nothing... but for those of us that are natives to this area, it's a big deal! I've only seen snow 4 times in my life, so this is pretty darned cool! ;-) I was able to catch snowflakes on my tongue... LOL.. and throw a snowball or two at Aisa. *hee-hee*

Thanksgiving...nonsensical ravings

ayana — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 04:09:20 GMT

As is every big holiday, at some point, it was all about food. I think I've gained 5 lbs in 3 days. LOL I hit the reformer with a vengeance tonight, to make sure it won't be as bad as I think when I step back on the scale. I'm not horribly afraid - my clothes still fit! ;-) Kyle spent the holiday out here in Katy with us. Everything started on Weds, when I spent the entire day cooking. I admit - I'm a freak - I'm one of those people that LOVES to cook at the holidays. I hate to shop - just put me in the kitchen - it's where I belong. Anyway, the menu was Turkey, Dressing, cranberry/pecan relish, mashers, sweet potatoes, green beans, rolls, giblet gravy... gawd. I made 6 pies, 2 for my mom's "nursing home", 2 for my dad and 2 for the house. So, I made 3 plain pumpkin, 1 molasses pumpkin and 2 coconut cream pies. My cousin brought banana cake, and I've been making fudge, so I also had 3 flavors on hand: dark chocolate, peanut butter and turtle. LOL I cook all of that on Weds (except the fudge and the cake) , but we needed dinner Weds night. I had gotten everything to make corn chowder, so, I just threw that together and made some sourdough/pesto crostini - man, it was good! I had extra maple pumpkin filling that wouldn't fit into the pie pan , so I threw it into 2 ramekins, and baked them souffle style. When they came out of the oven, I put on some caramel and we had pumpkin/maple souffle with caramel. YUMMY.. I'm adding orange/honey whipped cream for final presentation, and it's going on the King's Table menu, darn it!! We watched Casino Royale (it was all that was on at one point) while we ate. We spent yesterday morning visiting my mom - my aunt, uncle and cousin came out and went with my dad to Autumn Grove. I met them there, and we spent the morning with mother. My dad stayed with my mom, and the rest of us came back to the house to have dinner. My dad came by for dessert, so we got to spend the time together. It was great. My aunt is feeling better, though far from well... she's able to keep food down, so I was thrilled to see her enjoy a big meal! Today, we found ourselves in town and ended up at Khyber for some Indian Food. It was so good. I had been craving saag paneer. LOL Anyway, we went and saw Quantum of Solace after that... it was pretty good. :) I have no clue what's in store for tomorrow, but time will tell... :) I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!!

It finally hit the fan...

ayana — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:02:43 GMT

Well, as of today, I am a FORMER AIG employee... yes, I got laid off this morning. First time that's ever happened! So, now I'm job hunting. First order of business... open up my catering business for the holidays!!! Consider this the opening bell for King's Table, Holiday Season 2008. Come and get it, folks! ;-)

Finally...back to dancing...

ayana — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:55:20 GMT

After 6 weeks of being sick, I'm finally easing back into full dance mode. I had my first rehearsal back with Qantara last night, and this month we have some great performances on the calendar! Nov 7/8th - Vagabond Cirque Nov 18 - Vagabond Bellydance Nov 21 - Dance Houston's HomeGrown Motion I can't wait to go back to ballet next week, and this weekend I'll start using that new reformer that's been waiting for my return to good health. I have my ballroom lesson tonight, so things are definitely getting back to normal!!!

Oh boy! Pneumonia!!

ayana — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:26:50 GMT

Well, gee.... after a month of being sick, I finally got back to the doctor today. The first round of steroids and antibiotics didn't work, so in I went... and after getting a breathing treatment, more antibiotics, more steroids and an inhaler, he sent me to the hospital for a chest x-ray to confirm his diagnosis: Pneumonia! I'm the lucky winner! *NOT* Sheesh. Should have the results of the x-ray this afternoon... and he said I should feel better tomorrow since he is taking the approach of "shooting a duck with an elephant gun". Now I just have to find out if he's going to keep me from dancing and working out again this week... I'm gettin' REALLY tired of missing out on everything because I feel bad. DAMN IT. Had to cancel my ballroom lesson this evening for sure.. not sure yet about ballet or Qantara for the next two nights. *sigh* At least there will be progress now, right???

Tired of being sick!!

ayana — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:40:27 GMT

So, I've finally given up and am going to the doctor today... I've been sick since just after the hurricane. First, it was just a cold, then it turned into a sinus infection. I wanted to try and let my body beat the darned thing... we jump to medicate ourselves so quickly, and this time I really wanted to try and let my body's natural defenses kick it. But, after almost a month, it's not better. With the exception of Friday night with Qantara and Renee (who stayed with me), I slept most of the weekend, hoping I would just turn the curve and feel better. *sigh* no luck. I'm tired of not being able to smell... and if you can't smell, you can't taste either. That's been the worst. So, I'm going to the doctor to get my smell and taste back, damn it.

Bringin' the torture home...

ayana — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 22:39:28 GMT

I've finally done it... after paying scads of money to work with a private Pilates reformer trainer, I've gone and purchased one so that I can bring the torture (eerrr... exercise) home. With the number of classes I'm teaching dropping down to... well... none, really after October, I've got to keep my exercise regimen steady to maintain my target weight. I joined the gym on my work campus, which is gloriously convenient... for as long as that lasts, since I work for AIG...and they let me use the rooms there to do my dance workout. So, I can go down at lunch, do a strong, solid hour of cardio bellydance (or use any of the machines in the gym, or a spin class or whatever), then finish up my day. I've found that it's a great way to keep my energy up in the afternoon. Then, Tues - Thurs, go to my dance classes in the evening... and now on Fri - Mon, I can partake in reformer fun! It will pay for itself within 2 months, and I get to engage in one of my favorite workouts at my convenience. And, once AIG starts selling off assets right and left and I have no job... well, hey... I can be the unemployed bum ass chick with a FABULOUS body. *snort*

ARRRRrrrggggghhh

ayana — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 04:02:20 GMT

Ok - Tribe is back up, but I can't get to it from work anymore!!! I'm so bummed.. they've finally blocked it. :( So, now I can not access: Tribe, MySpace, yahoo mail, gmail, hotmail, ebay, any IM client... How in the HELL am I supposed to waste time at work if they don't give me the ability to do so!!! I'm going to have to start taking personal calls via telephone again. Good lord. This is unthinkable. I work very hard to be able to waste time, damn it, and I am offended that they have removed several critical tools that are required to accomplish this strategic goal. If it's 2am and I'm in the middle of a Disaster Recovery test... waiting for an sys admin to troubleshoot a connectivity issue with the SAN... listening to anyone else awake at that ungodly hour chatter over the conference bridge... or tell dirty jokes... or just harass each other for the sheer joy of it.... why in the world can't I go send some personal emails to keep myself awake? Or shop for sexy shoes... or chat up a friend in the UK or NY or in freakin Kalamazoo, if I want. Oh no... can't have that. ANYWAY... There is one thing they HAVEN'T been able to block. My own domain mail... muahahahahah. Anyone needing to reach me during "business hours", just confirm you have the right email for me, and all will be well. :) Oh... and I had a great time last night at Avant Garden.. thanks again for having me , ladies. I was glad that my costume malfunction in the 2nd half wasn't... ummm... more of an exhibition. LOL It's ok when a strap breaks if it isn't actually responsible for holding clothing on. And, it provides fodder for high quality audience interaction. Nari, I'm sorry to have missed saying hello, though I saw ya, of course... in the 2nd half, I wore the beautiful jewelry that you gave me for my birthday - it looked wonderful and I wanted to thank you again for the lovely sparklies. :) Ike... man, what a pain in the ass this guy is. *sigh* I could end up in Ft. Worth for the weekend, if my management decides that they want my feet on the ground in the recovery center in case of an outage. Kevin and I can pack up and head out... but then I'd be worried about my parents, my aunt, uncle and cousin... the house... there's just no "all good" scenario here. Well, tomorrow will tell the tale. It's my dang job, so .... one can't effectively manage disaster recovery from the middle of the disaster area. I am hoping it's just far enough away to avoid any serious threat.

Walking down memory lane

ayana — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 04:55:26 GMT

Today was such a pleasant surprise!! A few days ago, I reconnected via email with a friend from high school. He (Darren) is a very talented musician, and we did some gigs together as teenagers... we both started our career as professional musicians early in life... both of us at around 15. We were also in theater together, and got into a bit of harmless trouble together as well. LOL Our lives have taken us down some pretty interesting paths, but he came over today, and we spent 8 hours sitting in my living room talking, drinking wine and catching up on the last *choke* 25 years. Yes, it's been that long since I've seen him! I haven't laughed that hard in ages, and we had such a great time!!! It was wonderful to hook up with an old friend.. we live within 15 minutes of each other, and we will definitely be getting together again... alot!!! I think he's going to come to the Banjaran Salon show next week to see my other performing side. :) It made for a great holiday... now I'm happy to have the next 2 days off... :)

Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy)

ayana — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:43:37 GMT

I just got back from seeing Eric Idle with the Houston Symphony, performing Not the Messiah. It was a blast!!! Hilarious... he calls it Choral Sex, and there absolutely was, and it stole the show. ;-) How can you go wrong with Eric Idle, bagpipes and sheep??? We had great seats - front row center in the upper tier. My face hurts from laughing. I think I enjoyed it more than Spamalot. It's only here for 2 nights, so if you have tomorrow night free, go see it! You won't be sorry.

Thank the iPOD god...

ayana — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 16:21:46 GMT

I thought I'd lost my ipod... OMG. I realized just how important the darned thing is to me... how dependent I am on technology!! Thankfully, I put it in my briefcase (as Aisa told me - you just put it somewhere you usually don't), and it wasn't left at the studio, or lost in the ether anywhere.... What a crazy week... for everyone, it seems... hope next week is better!!

What would YOU do...

ayana — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:16:56 GMT

And I ask this in all seriousness... I can come up with a thousand sassy answers, but if this question was posed to you with the intent of it really happening, what would you do? If, tomorrow, you could have the financial freedom to do whatever you wanted to do... what would it be? Not for just a month, a year... for the rest of your life. This is a question beyond general health and welfare for your family... that is assumed as "handled" in this equation. You could make your dreams reality. Would you: Fund and run a business idea you'd had? Live a life of comfortable luxury without working? Dedicate your time and efforts towards making the world a better place (charitable)? And, what amount of money would you project you'd need to live your dream? Realistically, not a flippant response. I mean, it's easy to say $1 Million dollars a year, for example... but why that number? What would you really NEED? Living a life of comfortable luxury SOUNDS good, but in 3 months, I'd be bored to tears... I'd have to have something to DO. My own personal feeling is that I'd like to do something creative every day for the rest of my life. But that's not concrete enough. How to do it, what would it cost, how can it be utilized as something that will help others... I'm just curious what others would say if this question was posed to them. I suppose the real question is... what is your life's dream? Not just this year's... or next... or the next 10... all of it. If you had the opportunity to change your life and follow that dream... would you have the courage to step away from everything you do today and really grab on to it?

George Carlin

ayana — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 05:35:53 GMT

I can't believe he's gone. I spent so much of my life laughing at his twisted sense of humor... I'm going to miss that very, very much. A great comedian, a great loss.