The wanderer returned!

Jpeg came back, as if nothing had happened. A lot thinner than before but otherwise ok. He spent the day alseep on my clothes inside my laundry basket. Thanks for the comments everyone. x

Four-legged Friend come home!

I've lost my cat. Well, 'lost' might be a bit strong and it may be closer to the truth to say, "He hasn't come home. Yet." Jpeg (my cat) is never further away than the sound of a tin opening and is an emotionally needy little thing. He's not exactly 'brave' and is no match for warning off the regular cat-visitors I find in my garden, never mind the ones I find on my various windowsills from time to time... My "interchangeable, unofficial, third cat" I like to call them... My other cat, Capcom is doing a very bad impression of Lassie at the minute. Meowing a lot, letting me know that something/someone is missing but falls down at the "pointing the way" aspect of the scene. Poor old Capcom and his wobbly brain, head and body. Lack of oxygen to the brain when he was born. Imagine that scene in Bambi when the little foal learns to walk. That's ole Capcom on a bad day. Come home JPeg!

spoke too soon....

only two weeks ago I wrote in my blog how no one would die this year and everyone would live. I was wrong. three days late my dear friend Michael passed away suddenly at 28. I'll miss you mate. x

funny how...

i just read my blog entries from last year. the last one i wrote was when my funeral tally had wracked up to three in one year, two in three months. less than three months after i wrote that, i went to another one.

this year, no one will die. everyone will live.

:}

Three Funerals and a Wedding

I went to my third funeral in a year yesterday. A close team member died suddenly. In other news, my two best friends are getting married. To each other.

Barrel Rolls. Upper body barrel rolls. I don't know HOW to do them and its ALL I WANT TO DO!!!!

:o(

Cough! Splutter!

I have my first hoop dance class tomorrow night and I'm SO ill... ears, chest and throat. What do I do???

busy little bee!

Anyone else's hoop sales gone bonkers since the article in the guardian on saturday?

since the hoop girl training it has been NON STOP so have had not time to update or even reply to a lot of people! Let it be known you are all in my thoughts and with me in my little hoop circle! I have lots to update on so I will endeavour to do so ASAP!

May the Hoop be with you!

May Day Workshop

I ache from my bones outward. But, its a good ache! Today got up at 7am (having gone to bed around 2am) and started making hoops. Hoops hoops hoops hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooops! Hoops to sell.

I went to Cleethorpes to do a hooping workshop during the May Day Celebrations and the Continental Market. Me and my friend Paula pitched up and away we went! It was mental.

My first actual customer (amongst the people just trying it out) was a little 10 year old girl. She gave me a shy smile and with some encouragement from her family and a much more daring young girl that was with her, she picked up a hoop and nailed it first time. Her carer bought her a hoop and off she smiled!

I've been her social worker for a year and I don't think she's ever said more than two words to me. Why should she? She doesn't trust social workers, unless of course they're armed with a hula hoop.

As the humid (but later sunny), busy day went on more and more people came over. Adults and children a like. I sold 3 hoops and secured my first block booking for my hoop class. (All my class details are on line now including a payment option!) I'm even getting paid for being at the celebrations which is a complete surprise! So very, very tired, very achey but £125 better off. :o) I used everything I'd learned in the Hoop Girl training, particularly around reluctant learners. The best bit though was when I heard someone say, "Did you see her just jump up and in to that hoop? It looked so effortless." Better still I'm sure it was someone who I really wish never existed. Eventually I found myself surrounded by children, some were only kneehigh to a grasshopper and just had no clue but my god they were cute!

Now.... What do I do now? Make lots of kids hoops for tommorow to exploit the holiday makers and watch my energy levels deplete? Or, so I relax and replenish, missing out on a possible opportunity to make money.... I have so little energy left. I've worked SO hard this week. I also don't have an assistant for tomorrow who I SO relied on today.

The dance studio for my classes is all booked for personal practice and classes beginning in June! BUt better than that... I have a bottle of wine, a spinach and ricotta canneloni, a planned bath and a trashy chat magazine. :o)

I cried about Edel today. I looked in the mirror and dried my hair and listened to The Fray on the radio and I cried. Cried my little heart out.

Good Things Come to Those Who Hoop!

Its been pretty non-stop since I got back from the Hoop Girl Training. My head is spinning (parden the pun). Its only Tuesday and I've already organised the following:

* Two four hour slots in the May Day Celebrations in Cleethorpes where I will be workshoping and pimping my hoops! That's my foot in the door with Tourism.

* Updated my website www.hulashaker.co.uk with lovely new pictures and logos!

* Booked a dance studio for £12.50 per hour. This is for the next few weeks of personal practice with a view to start teaching the first Wednesday in June. The studio shuts for the summer so this gives me 6 weeks to introduce 'Beginners 1' and test the demand for more.

* Registered in the Hoop Girl forum as a teacher!

* Reserved a place on a basic First Aid course with St John's Ambulance on 26th May (£16 for one short day)

* Scheduled an interview with 'efactor'. This is our local authority's entrepreneurship programme where they help you set up a new business or social enterprise.

* Cocked up all my finances. :o(

Too Hungover to Hoop?

I've just been watching some clips of KC hooping and she's SO amazing that don't know if I feel inspired or sick with hopelesness at her brilliance! I think I'll go with positive visualisation and pretend I'm looking at me. Feel all the moves.

In other news, I got the elbow to elbow roll behind the back last night. Yey!