xoxoxoxxOo, Tova!

OK so at the SAME student dance concert i performed the following... just to show you how outrageously bipolar i can be. I hope you enjoy. (Sorry the video is pretty rough... bless little Reaghan's heart... she does try so very hard ;)

xoxoxoxxOo, Tova!

Body story

this is a dance i choreographed and performed for ODU's student Dance Concert. it's a bit "out of character" for me-- but i found the process and performance of this somewhat moody/melancholy piece to be very therapeutic... i hope you enjoy.

10.18.08

this is my sister's birthday. i love my sister, a lot. i try to be a good sister. i sometimes succeed. i sometimes fail. if your going to try harder to be a good sister on any particular day of the year... a good choice would be on her birthday. do i always make good choices? obviously not. october 18th came and went... no card no gift... i'm lame. and i'm sorry. i was hoping to have money to buy you something... but i suppose i should have hoped first for a job... and hoped for some gas money (in that order). however, construction paper and crayons seem to make themselves available cheaply... and yet i dismissed their proposal. i'm sorry... therefore i blog.

i'm not good at deadlines... i.e. birthdays, due dates of any sort
i'm not good at cooking... ie tenderline, porkline, pantyline... any of those lines
i'm not good at holding small children... ie i tend to make the child, mother, and any random onlookers intensely uncomfortable


i am good at making lists... so here is a list of why i absolutely love and adore my sister... and why i'm sorry i'm lame


1. I LOVE how we absolutely understand and appreciate each other... with a mere glimpse or smirk...

2. You are a beautiful and graceful mover... its lovely to watch you dance... i aspire to emulate even a fraction of your poise and grace when i dance

3. you APPRECIATE all things... i believe when one has experienced so much of the pain filled gray shades in life... one can only explore and acknowledge the beautiful light filled things in life.

4. your FUNNY... especially when i'm around to "give and take" if you will... i mean we really crack ourselves up... and i think on occasion other people find us funny...

5. your STRONG.... you've been through a lot... and endured it with strength (and sometimes a smile?)

6. your fashionably FABULOUS.... i've always admired your sense of style... and i believe you helped me tap into my own unique style... (after those tough overall and turtleneck days...)

7. you usually do the RIGHT thing... you get this from mom.... i'd say 9 out of 10 times... you prove yourself to be a discerning and righteous person. and if its not a matter of right and wrong... you find the better route.

8. you're a GIVING person.... one of my favorite memories is after i had my crazy face surgery ( i say this purposefully to be ambiguous and mysterious... it is indeed a ploy)... i was absolutely miserable, nauseous, swollen, hungry, and drooling... you came up to visit me and painted my toenails... and gave me a neck rub... ;) lord know i needed it!

9. your HUMBLE... not many people know the severity of your pain or suffering... not many know what a young talented and beautiful ballerina you were before your back issues... but i of course do... and respect you all the more for not broadcasting your disappointments in life...

10. YOU'RE PREGNANT.... WOOO HOOO....... although you hate salad and coffee now... it will all be well worth while... i'll find some random babies to practice my holding skills... but i'm not worried... i know i'm going to be a great aunt :)



i love you sis... sorry i'm lame... once a get a job, some gas money, and a gift for you... we can pretend its your birthday... until then... i'm gonna dig through my sock drawer and find some crayons....

auntie bEk

sooooo.... i'm gonna be an auntie! i'm super excited because i'm gonna be the coolest aunt EVER.

hAmmIE

Hey guys. I would like for you to meet my great grandma, HAMMIE. You might better know her as the coolest 92 yr old white lady reckoning the EAST COAST. Most of my friends know her because whenever she was around she was very never hesitated offering her opinion.... for example telling Jacob's friends they stink and need to shower, always telling everyone to put some shoes on their bare foot (she would often step on our feet to get her point across), or the signature heavy handed "pat" on the back, shoulder, or the tender crown on your head (poor thing doesn't realize her own strength... or maybe she just knows you can't yell at an old lady for hitting you).
I remember her, and I'm sure my brothers and sisters can agree, as one who loved to garden... she was always out in our huge garden (back in the day) picking cucumbers, tomatoes, squash etc etc... and she would eat them fresh out the garden. She also as long as I can remember been a walker. Everyday she would walk to Military Circle Mall ( and I'm convinced she still would if it weren't for her stroke but now "her legs don't work")... she actually stills goes to the mall to sit with her friends and greet her passing "mall buddies"... in fact for Hammie's 90'th b day party half of the Military Circle Food Court attended... how random to have some indian dude, african americans, philippino's, all gather to celebrate their well known friends birthday. Although, most of her fellow mall friends have passed away Hammie still goes and "holds down" her table where they all once gathered to chat and tell young teenage hoolagans to put a belt on to hold up their pants.
Hammie absolutely loves flowers. She often schools in me the ways of how to care for plant, how to pinch off the dead buds... my Mom takes after her in this way. Last week my Aunt Kim came up from Carolina and we all planted some flowers with Hammie. I love the picture of her with her arms crossed looking all grumpy... this is not an unfamiliar countenance of Hammie... but don't be deceived she is quite the jokester... ( I think I may keep her legacy alive in some respects... :) She told me once about putting tacs behind her sister's boyfriends car because she didn't care for him! HAHA. Popped his tires. Wow.
It's pretty amazing talking to somebody who lived through the depression, worked in a tabacco field, back in the ride your horse down the field kinda days. WHAT!? Hammie is also very bright... she had a full scholarship to Virginia Weslyan... However, her family couldn't afford books and board so she gave it up to help support her family. What a truly noble soul. I'm proud to be related to her and I know she is so very proud of me and my school endevours. I'm always excited to tell her about school, and she's always quick to ask me how my grades are. To see her grin ear to ear when I can tell her I earned an "A" for a semester is far more rewarding than any degree I could dream of. I always tell her I got my smarts from her... she quickly agrees.
Bottom Line... I LOVE HER A LOT. And I wanted to let you guys in on it.

ugly face makin' music

alright guys... i know you've done it. or @ least I hope you have experienced a song, an artist, a piece of music that provokes the ugly face. you know you hear some good music... and instantly musical bliss transforms your face to its rhythmic and melodic deformation. but the beauty is YOU DON'T CARE.
Cindy Blackman provides that ugly face makin' music for me. She is my favorite female drummer. What's it to you? Who do you love to listen to? Whats that one song that your head involuntarily bounces to the moment you hear it ? I wanna know.

about those lemons...

hey guys! so here's some tips if you're thinking about doing the "lemonade fast"---


1.) Plan on taking it easy if you choose to take on the no eating feat

2.) You probably shouldn't try to go for a run... due to lack of energy it might be more like going for a skid... on the pavement that is

3.) You probably shouldn't try to do a 90 min HOT YOGA class ( specifically not after "running" and/or Pilates). Why? One might start out in a nice sturdy "Warrior" stance.. and ten unaccounted for minutes later wake up in a pool of sweat gazing, bewildered, at the lovely ceiling sky. ( yes, the ceiling is painted like a blue, fluffy clouded sky)


BOTTOM LINE... the lemonade was actually pretty good... it wasn't as much that I was hungry but I had no energy and then I tried to work out a lot on top of that.... WHICH IS A REALLY DUMB IDEA. Anyway, I recommend it if you can take a week to chill at the beach with a good book.

i like turtles

lemonade?

I am finally done with school for this spring! To kick off the summer... I let my good Russian friend OLGA talk me into a crazy lemonade fast/cleanse.

For a minimum of 10 days one must only consume water, lemons, maple syrup *organic grade B*, and cayenne pepper. CRAZY! It is supposed to cleanse your system flushing it of toxins, extraneous waste, and in general reset your internal system.

Supposedly the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from the ingredients are supposed to sustain you and you are not suppose to feel like you are starving.

I am so excited for summer! I will definitely be updating my blog more often also.

hey jude

Although I have no time right now to entertain you fine folks... you should watch this video and have a laugh.

Sorry Guys

Sorry it's been a while since I last blogged. I promise to update things after exam week! AGH!

HEY GUYS!

did you miss me? sorry it has been so long... i haven't been able to access the internet on my computer for quite some time. just an update... i actually for the first time in about 6 months am not sick. woo hoo! thanks guys for all the tips zyrtec, neti pot, vitamins, sleep, etc etc... all great advice that helped.

although i haven't been SICK SICK. I did wake up on easter morning thinking i was struck with blindness. i thought i was opening my eyes... but i couldn't see anything... thats because my eyes were so swollen shut. my dad took me to the doctor... i have BLEPHARITIS... sounds made up huh>? I thought so... its just a really bad infection/allergy of the eye. the weeks leading up to it my eyes were constantly watering and getting little crustations in the corner... ( love the details yeah?) then BAM! it pretty much felt like Satan mixed up a vinegar, hot sauce, paper cut, extra salt cocktail and dumped it in my eyeballs... it really sucked.. and my eyes still itch and are irritated but at least i can see and they're not swollen.

anyway, thats what has been up with me... thanks for checking in... ( esp katie and mrs. myhill)

.lupe.fiasco.

last week my friend from school hooked me up with back stage passes to see LUPE FIASCO in richmond. it was an awesome show. we were like within hand grabbing distance... insane! we got to meet and chill with the guys after. good times.

sick.

I am seriously the healthiest sick person I know. I eat very healthy, I drink a ton of water, I take handful of vitamins daily, I get plenty of exercise... and I literally get sick every single month. Usually its the sore throat into the stuffy head achy body syndrome. This has been going on since the fall. Has anybody else experienced this? Or is it just me? If so, any suggestions? What do you do to keep from getting sick... because I'm obviously missing something.

ADIOS SBUX

So last saturday was my last shift at Pembroke Starbucks. The same winds of change that carried Mary Poppins by way of umbrella grabbed hold of me and blew me from my humble latte making ways. Actually, I'm just too busy balancing school, rehearsals, teaching etc etc. Although I'll miss my team there, most I've worked with for nearly three years... it was time. Oddly enough, I've come across a lot of people who are making changes in there life... people changing jobs, locations... its exciting! I think 2008 will be a great year filled with positive changes and lots of growth! So whats up with all yall>? How are you going to make this year different from last?

Seriously, Let it Be

Djembe

This is a piece I choreographed for my Dance Composition final last semester. I tried to go a little outside the box by letting the music be dictated and inspired from the movement... I thought it turned out pretty good.

The Legacy of Two Bearcats...

Two Bearcats wandered, in ghastly heat, through the Sahara desert. Their direction; fixed. Their minds; focused. They were in route to uncover eternal wisdom... a mystery that would grant them their hearts desire. For five hundred days they walked... searching. Their padded little Bearcat paws were blistered from the scorching sun beaming down on their path marked in sand. Finally, in the 6th hour of the 500th day they reached their destination. Their eyes grew with anticipation as they gazed upon it... THE FLAMING SPHERE... (of which most Bearcats feared).
According to law, the SPHERE would grant them each one of their hearts desire. If the SPHERE saw no intention of ill will in the tiny
fur burroughed heart of the Bearcat, his desire would be granted along with a complimentary ball of yarn and jar of honey. If the SPHERE found the desire to be self seeking or dull; the bearcat would be sent away immediately to walk 500 days back home in a pool of water chased by a swarm of angry bees.
The Bearcat to the right asked for limitless wealth. He was, without hesitation, struck dead by lightning... nobody saw this coming. Especially because this was not the negotiating consequence for such a selfish request. The bearcat on the left asked for peace on earth, the answer to global warming, a bag of cat nip, and a picnic lunch (bears seem to like that). The SPHERE, pleased with the Bearcat, granted his hearts desire along with the complimentary ball of yarn and jar of honey.
So now I ask you, dear readers, to search your heart and ask yourself one question.....

..... which Bearcat are you?

You know you've Done It...

I know you have... you know you have. Whether you choose to admit it or not. We all have our moments... you're thinking of it now... and even though you were only 7 years old and weren't aware of the social stigma escorted by "girl bowl cuts" and pleated, stone washed jeans... your cheeks flush at the thought... at such blissfully embarassing moments.

I've had my fair share... being the middle kid of 5 children... I deem the following appropriate and somewhat entertaining enough to share with you all...

Road trips. You act like they were such wonderful... bonding family experiences... but who truly enjoys them? You can't play highway bingo forever... especially in Kansas... in fact you have no chance in winning that game ever in Kansas... because you'll never be so lucky as to find... a box of cheetohs on the side of the road... a wandering kite... living vegetation of any sort... etc etc

My point; you must occupy yourself... of which I am quite experienced. So of course I resort to the sugar encrusted Krispy Kreme napkin chillin halfway under my yellow school bus hi-tops to do the job. I then proceeded to rip the napkin in small pieces, roll it into a ball, and then shove it into my nostrils... it seemed a good idea at the time. Don't hate. Besides my older brother and sister only encouraged the festivities... remember they were subject to the same never ending highway bingo...
i would shove one in... plug the other side... and blast it out... mmmm... delicious. Of course... the stakes are raised and I am faced with a new challenge... one that I must accept to maintain any sort of sanity on this family adventure.
Two wads at a time? How bout three? Or even four? Oh yeah, bingo's on the floor... we're not playing around anymore.... this is for real. I blasted out four wads from my left nostril like a droopy eyed Bassett Hound hot on the trail of some vermin... Five? No biggie. Ripped five pieces... systematically rolled them each up (I'd say a quarter inch each)... yawning all the while... like this was nothing but a habitual "family vacation" pastime... lined em all up in the right nostril... ready for launch... one problem... we hit a bump (or perhaps an armadillo?) in the road... I naturally sniff in with all my might. I'm done... instant cloggage...
To shorten this already painfully long story...
my mom did the whole, dramatic swerve and pull over thing.... of course cranked my seat back... full recline... and wedged her pointy pinky nail in my distressed 7 yr old nostril.
Blood. Snot. Tears. Five hours and one hospital trip later... I am free from my self inflicted Krispy Kreme bondage. Thank God.

Word to the wise... don't put foreign objects in your nose. Save yourself... just go ahead and play bingo.

yo tengo frustraciones!

They are those moments throughout the day that, if you took a step back and watched yourself, in a freeze- frame Zach Morris kinda way, you would probably get a kick out of yourself. It really is funny, although at the time, your beet red with frustration and feel more like spitting nails than spewing giggly rainbows. For me, its our door that my blessed father, who ironically is in construction, put up backwards. I usually have about five arm loads of crap clenched in my stressed out, ashy fingers as I try to enter my house. Because our screen door opens backwards there is about a two inch space to squeeze my obnoxiously large keychain (which includes five mysterious keys and a rusted clip on bottle of mace) to unlock the door. I usually balance my five loads of crap in my right arm while twisting my left wrist to open the door. I dread unlocking that blasted door everytime I get home.

Here's a small list of frustrating everyday things:

1. Untimely allergy attacks
2. Folding fitted sheets
3. Untimely allergy attack while folding fitted sheets
4. Dry hands that "pick" at soft fabric (agh!)
5. Walking to and from the beach *esp with too much gear... cooler, chair, towels, unnecessary oils etc)
6. Being genuinely angry while having the hiccups (nobody takes you serious when you have the hiccups)

Feel free to add on, what is that one or two or too many things that just frustrate you during your day. Think about it, write about it, and then you'll most likely laugh about it.