Last night was all right. Today was sort of stupid.

Yes, last night wasn't so bad, at least show-wise. As I said, I realized I had to wear makeup, which I don't like and don't normally do. But when I start, I tend to get carried away. The only powder makeup I own is something I used last year, and I just grabbed it and started dusting it on. I should have realized that it was the makeup I bought specifically so I could cosplay Raistlin Majere...a character known for his metallic, gold skin. Uhh, duh! Good thing I told myself to test how it would look under the lights by looking at myself with a flashlight shining on my face, because I was, well, sparkly gold. Not appropriate. I had to wash it all off and start over.

And then I tried to do somthing cool with my hair, but whenever I try to curl or wave it, it actually straightens (because my hair curls on its own some of the time anyway, I guess.) I ended up giving myself a sort of silly looking flip.

( This is what I looked like before I walked out the door. )

Not what I had in mind, but oh well.

When all five of us were there, the atmosphere among us was like glass. Three of us on one side of the backstage area, the other two all the way across on the other, and the two groups only mixing to talk shortly about whatever technical thing needed to be discussed. Although, I did have time to chat with Ali about how her day had gone. (The whole thing with Ali, it's very hard for me to blame her for stuff like choreographing her own Hulas and this kind of thing; I get the feeling she just doesn't realize that this isn't the way it's done in Hula, or she's just following Melissa. Melissa, though, we've talked before about Hula protocol and her answer has often been, "Well, the Kumus never need to know, do they?" And I can hardly stand it anymore.)

Anyway, the show itself was a success. Before we went on, I was trying to tell myself that, yes, I knew I was going to mess up at least one move in A Kona Hema, because I always do. I always mess that one up--my favorite mele and hula, of course--and I always survive, and most of the time people don't even notice. But yet, I didn't mess it up at all! The only time I messed up during the entire show was in Drums of Bora Bora, and I think that's because I had a mental block against it; I really didn't want to do that number.

Anyway, some photos from last night's show:


( I like this one because of the way eveyrone's pa'u is swishing and it sort of shows the movement. )

( He Mele Inoa Kalakaua as taught by Auntie Kau'i )

( Just me, in the middle of A Kona Hema, with a weird look on my face. )

We had three sections: two legitimate Hula and one false Hula. For the second section, Melissa and Ali (as I've mentioned,) choreographed their own dance to some abstract Presley song, some love song of his that doesn't even have anything to do with Hula or Hawai'i. (Though, thank god it wasn't Rock-a-Hula like the last time.) The Tahitian section also went over really well, lots of people yelling and clapping and such. My parents drove out to see us (how nice of them!) and in fact took those pictures. After our section was over, my parents were leaving, and my Dad (he later told me) heard some guy say, "The Hula dancers were great, but what was the thing about Presley? He wasn't Hawaiian, was he?" My Dad said to him, "No, but he did sing 'Blue Hawai'i' at one point." The guy said, "Well, that wasn't Blue Hawai'i." But then he took one of our cards.

After dress rehearsal Wednesday, we got invited to dance at some Festival of the Sun in July or something (I have the flyer tucked away somewhere) and after last night, the stage manager asked if we were available for private family functions and such. I think she took a card, too. But now I have to wonder, who's going to be dancing? What sort of Hula group will we be? I have no idea.

Today, like I said, was fairly stupid and I felt like I wasted it. First of all, I didn't go to Kung Fu this morning like I had planned. I was way too tired and hadn't even unpacked my car from last night. I decided instead to finish up shopping, and get a storage type thing for my bedroom to replace the entertainment center. I've got a TV that isn't even plugged in there, and two VCRs that I used to use for copying videos, but now I hardly ever use. So I want something smaller. I'm trying to create more space in my life, you know?

So, I set out for the stores at 11:30 this morning. For some reason, they had rte 105 closed off (WTF?!!) and--I kid you not--it took me 30 minutes to go four miles. When I got to the store, I realized I had measured the entertainment center wrong, or at least written down the wrong number. And that I had priced the piece I was looking at wrong, too (it's actually two parts, one $80 and one $50, not one $50 priced piece as I had thought!) So I went to another store and looked at a small Armoire for $140. I couldn't decide, and couldn't decide, and just basically stood there for about 20 minutes thinking this all over. In the end, you know what I did? I didn't buy either thing, and I just went home. Well, actually, I stopped at the greenhouse to buy gardenias for Chrissie, who is home from her surgery.

So I got home and it's around 2 PM I had a message on my machine from some guy asking about a baby bird, so I called him back. He told me he had a baby robin, but he drove it up to the animal hospital. Oh, great! So I called the hospital and they told me that, yes, there was a robin there. So I'm like, okay, I'll be down in about 45 minutes. And I set out again (all the while thinking, "isn't it a little early for baby birds yet? This is supposed to start next week, or the week after, and with starlings.") So I finally got to work and they told me the robin was in the basement. Which it was. Only it wasn't a baby, but an adult, who had flown into a windshield or something and was just taking its last breaths. I picked it up and it died in my hand.

*sigh*

So, another hour and a half or so wasted. After that, I brought the gardenias over to Chrissie and she and Tim and I talked for about a half an hour. She looks good, and she feels very positive. (It's not a life-threatening thing, this, more of an emotional thing, but it was major surgery.)

This morning, I had planned on going out quickly, getting the flowers for Chrissie, visiting her, and then coming home to write like a demon. The entire time I was out shopping, I was writing scenes for the second book. Because, even though I have no clue how the first book finishes off, I know just how I want to start the second one. (So frustrating!) But now I must remember: the greenhouse, the madman with feathers in his dreadlocked hair, and the simply marked grave that still lies underneath the palace. My inspiration (read: motivation) to write has actually waned a great deal, but I know I must force myself. So, that's what I'll do!

But, of course, first I had to blog. ;) It's cathartic, or meaningful or something. Yeah.

Last night was all right. Today was sort of stupid.

Yes, last night wasn't so bad, at least show-wise. As I said, I realized I had to wear makeup, which I don't like and don't normally do. But when I start, I tend to get carried away. The only powder makeup I own is something I used last year, and I just grabbed it and started dusting it on. I should have realized that it was the makeup I bought specifically so I could cosplay Raistlin Majere...a character known for his metallic, gold skin. Uhh, duh! Good thing I told myself to test how it would look under the lights by looking at myself with a flashlight shining on my face, because I was, well, sparkly gold. Not appropriate. I had to wash it all off and start over.

And then I tried to do somthing cool with my hair, but whenever I try to curl or wave it, it actually straightens (because my hair curls on its own some of the time anyway, I guess.) I ended up giving myself a sort of silly looking flip.

( This is what I looked like before I walked out the door. )

Not what I had in mind, but oh well.

When all five of us were there, the atmosphere among us was like glass. Three of us on one side of the backstage area, the other two all the way across on the other, and the two groups only mixing to talk shortly about whatever technical thing needed to be discussed. Although, I did have time to chat with Ali about how her day had gone. (The whole thing with Ali, it's very hard for me to blame her for stuff like choreographing her own Hulas and this kind of thing; I get the feeling she just doesn't realize that this isn't the way it's done in Hula, or she's just following Melissa. Melissa, though, we've talked before about Hula protocol and her answer has often been, "Well, the Kumus never need to know, do they?" And I can hardly stand it anymore.)

Anyway, the show itself was a success. Before we went on, I was trying to tell myself that, yes, I knew I was going to mess up at least one move in A Kona Hema, because I always do. I always mess that one up--my favorite mele and hula, of course--and I always survive, and most of the time people don't even notice. But yet, I didn't mess it up at all! The only time I messed up during the entire show was in Drums of Bora Bora, and I think that's because I had a mental block against it; I really didn't want to do that number.

Anyway, some photos from last night's show:


( I like this one because of the way eveyrone's pa'u is swishing and it sort of shows the movement. )

( He Mele Inoa Kalakaua as taught by Auntie Kau'i )

( Just me, in the middle of A Kona Hema, with a weird look on my face. )

We had three sections: two legitimate Hula and one false Hula. For the second section, Melissa and Ali (as I've mentioned,) choreographed their own dance to some abstract Presley song, some love song of his that doesn't even have anything to do with Hula or Hawai'i. (Though, thank god it wasn't Rock-a-Hula like the last time.) The Tahitian section also went over really well, lots of people yelling and clapping and such. My parents drove out to see us (how nice of them!) and in fact took those pictures. After our section was over, my parents were leaving, and my Dad (he later told me) heard some guy say, "The Hula dancers were great, but what was the thing about Presley? He wasn't Hawaiian, was he?" My Dad said to him, "No, but he did sing 'Blue Hawai'i' at one point." The guy said, "Well, that wasn't Blue Hawai'i." But then he took one of our cards.

After dress rehearsal Wednesday, we got invited to dance at some Festival of the Sun in July or something (I have the flyer tucked away somewhere) and after last night, the stage manager asked if we were available for private family functions and such. I think she took a card, too. But now I have to wonder, who's going to be dancing? What sort of Hula group will we be? I have no idea.

Today, like I said, was fairly stupid and I felt like I wasted it. First of all, I didn't go to Kung Fu this morning like I had planned. I was way too tired and hadn't even unpacked my car from last night. I decided instead to finish up shopping, and get a storage type thing for my bedroom to replace the entertainment center. I've got a TV that isn't even plugged in there, and two VCRs that I used to use for copying videos, but now I hardly ever use. So I want something smaller. I'm trying to create more space in my life, you know?

So, I set out for the stores at 11:30 this morning. For some reason, they had rte 105 closed off (WTF?!!) and--I kid you not--it took me 30 minutes to go four miles. When I got to the store, I realized I had measured the entertainment center wrong, or at least written down the wrong number. And that I had priced the piece I was looking at wrong, too (it's actually two parts, one $80 and one $50, not one $50 priced piece as I had thought!) So I went to another store and looked at a small Armoire for $140. I couldn't decide, and couldn't decide, and just basically stood there for about 20 minutes thinking this all over. In the end, you know what I did? I didn't buy either thing, and I just went home. Well, actually, I stopped at the greenhouse to buy gardenias for Chrissie, who is home from her surgery.

So I got home and it's around 2 PM I had a message on my machine from some guy asking about a baby bird, so I called him back. He told me he had a baby robin, but he drove it up to the animal hospital. Oh, great! So I called the hospital and they told me that, yes, there was a robin there. So I'm like, okay, I'll be down in about 45 minutes. And I set out again (all the while thinking, "isn't it a little early for baby birds yet? This is supposed to start next week, or the week after, and with starlings.") So I finally got to work and they told me the robin was in the basement. Which it was. Only it wasn't a baby, but an adult, who had flown into a windshield or something and was just taking its last breaths. I picked it up and it died in my hand.

*sigh*

So, another hour and a half or so wasted. After that, I brought the gardenias over to Chrissie and she and Tim and I talked for about a half an hour. She looks good, and she feels very positive. (It's not a life-threatening thing, this, more of an emotional thing, but it was major surgery.)

This morning, I had planned on going out quickly, getting the flowers for Chrissie, visiting her, and then coming home to write like a demon. The entire time I was out shopping, I was writing scenes for the second book. Because, even though I have no clue how the first book finishes off, I know just how I want to start the second one. (So frustrating!) But now I must remember: the greenhouse, the madman with feathers in his dreadlocked hair, and the simply marked grave that still lies underneath the palace. My inspiration (read: motivation) to write has actually waned a great deal, but I know I must force myself. So, that's what I'll do!

But, of course, first I had to blog. ;) It's cathartic, or meaningful or something. Yeah.