I'm still in shock. My world is upside down. This is one of those people I thought would never die, that somehow or other he would redeem himself and come back bigger than ever. There was a time when I worshipped this man. Maybe I didn't spend the money on the paraphernalia of a rabid fan, but I loved his music. I loved (most of) his dancing. I have the whole "Thriller" monster dance memorized still, for crying out loud! I have the "Thriller" video on my iPod, the only music video on there.
I don't believe it. I refuse to believe it. Now I understand why there are so many people out there who believe Elvis and Marilyn are still alive, that they faked their deaths to lead normal existences. I'm like to believe that first myself.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obit_michael_jackson
I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop and hoping there really is one to drop.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Going to the faire ...
So I finally managed to attend the Three Barons Renaissance Fair here in Alaska. At first, not knowing what to expect, having not attended one in such a remote state as ours, I had chosen not to don my garb. Actually, I wasn't sure where it was as we've only been in our new house for, what, two months now?
Holy mackerel, has it really been two months already?! Where has the time gone!!!!
Oh, sorry about that. Two, three, four ... (I know at least one person out there will get that reference.)
Anyway, Logan convinced me to locate my Ren Fair costume and put it on. Yes, Logan. I know some of you will now need to close your swinging jaws, but it's true. He suddenly got a bug up his ... grandmother ... to see me in my wench wear. Not that I have proper wench bosom, but you can't have everything.
So last Saturday, sandwiched between my class, my writing group meeting, and a party I was supposed to attend later that night (which got waylaid by a migraine. Sorry, Megan! Happy 30th!), Logan and I braved the elements to visit the Three Barons.
I was pleasantly surprised that though things were looking dreary and gray that morning, by the time we go there the sun had made an appearance. It's doing a good job of making up for last year. I had brought my cloak just in case, but ended up leaving it in the car because I was hot. I was really hot, I think, for the first time here! Woohoo! (it's hot again today, hot being low to mid 70s, so I'm going back out to sit in it as soon as I'm done here.)
I was a trifle disappointed. There was plenty of room, and probably the crowds were diminished because of the construction going on nearby that made for some difficulties when finding the location, but the booths seemed rather sparse and the costuming more haphazard. I was worried at first because I no longer have proper period footwear and had to make do with my hiking boots, which, mostly hidden under my skirts, didn't look to bad. But I quickly noticed that almost everyone was wearing hiking boots or work boots or dark sneakers. Alaska doesn't bother with minutiae. Comfort and durability rules with an iron fist.
I was hoping to perhaps find a vendor selling period clothing and footwear, but there wasn't much. A few clothing booths, which did not boast much in the way of quality or quantity; more than a few booths of kids' games, food, and drink; one leather working vendor (probably the best vendor there, neat stuff); and lots of those sparkly wreaths with long ribbon streamers attached.
I did see one booth that had witches' hats made of any number of fabrics and patterns, as well as princess hats that I adored as a kid (too small for me, of course). As I looked at the hats, it dawned on me that I could make them myself. In fact, they were very much the kind of thing I would do were I to have a booth at a fair! I might have purchased one that had a cat pattern on it, but they didn't have any fabrics with cats on them.
We walked through the whole place in half an hour. We stopped and watched a few minutes of a little theatre show at the Red Barony. We watched as the Blue Barony did some of their stuff, which was mostly talking about themselves when we went by, and I don't remember ever seeing the Green Barony, though I'm pretty sure they were about, just not doing anything specific in their area at the time.
The most popular costumes seemed to be gypsy costumes. We saw lots of the those floating around. I guess Alaska girls take every opportunity to show off their tummies when they can, since most of the year it's too cold to do so.
Since Logan's brother had dropped us off so he could jaunt around Anchorage while we were doing that, we ended up walking down Tudor to a gas station to get something to drink. (If you have to pay for it, at least get something you know you like, right?) Then we walked back and sat on the lawn out front until Ben arrived.
I got tons of second glances from passing cars (and their drivers, too), and people were stopping me inside the gas station to ask about my costume and about the fair. They assumed I worked there. Apparently my costume is professional looking up here, when it barely passed any kind of muster in California. One little girl was shrieking to her mom, "Mommy, look at her dress, look at her dress!" And she asked me what kind of dress it was.
I guess I've finally found my smaller pond.
Holy mackerel, has it really been two months already?! Where has the time gone!!!!
Oh, sorry about that. Two, three, four ... (I know at least one person out there will get that reference.)
Anyway, Logan convinced me to locate my Ren Fair costume and put it on. Yes, Logan. I know some of you will now need to close your swinging jaws, but it's true. He suddenly got a bug up his ... grandmother ... to see me in my wench wear. Not that I have proper wench bosom, but you can't have everything.
So last Saturday, sandwiched between my class, my writing group meeting, and a party I was supposed to attend later that night (which got waylaid by a migraine. Sorry, Megan! Happy 30th!), Logan and I braved the elements to visit the Three Barons.
I was pleasantly surprised that though things were looking dreary and gray that morning, by the time we go there the sun had made an appearance. It's doing a good job of making up for last year. I had brought my cloak just in case, but ended up leaving it in the car because I was hot. I was really hot, I think, for the first time here! Woohoo! (it's hot again today, hot being low to mid 70s, so I'm going back out to sit in it as soon as I'm done here.)
I was a trifle disappointed. There was plenty of room, and probably the crowds were diminished because of the construction going on nearby that made for some difficulties when finding the location, but the booths seemed rather sparse and the costuming more haphazard. I was worried at first because I no longer have proper period footwear and had to make do with my hiking boots, which, mostly hidden under my skirts, didn't look to bad. But I quickly noticed that almost everyone was wearing hiking boots or work boots or dark sneakers. Alaska doesn't bother with minutiae. Comfort and durability rules with an iron fist.
I was hoping to perhaps find a vendor selling period clothing and footwear, but there wasn't much. A few clothing booths, which did not boast much in the way of quality or quantity; more than a few booths of kids' games, food, and drink; one leather working vendor (probably the best vendor there, neat stuff); and lots of those sparkly wreaths with long ribbon streamers attached.
I did see one booth that had witches' hats made of any number of fabrics and patterns, as well as princess hats that I adored as a kid (too small for me, of course). As I looked at the hats, it dawned on me that I could make them myself. In fact, they were very much the kind of thing I would do were I to have a booth at a fair! I might have purchased one that had a cat pattern on it, but they didn't have any fabrics with cats on them.
We walked through the whole place in half an hour. We stopped and watched a few minutes of a little theatre show at the Red Barony. We watched as the Blue Barony did some of their stuff, which was mostly talking about themselves when we went by, and I don't remember ever seeing the Green Barony, though I'm pretty sure they were about, just not doing anything specific in their area at the time.
The most popular costumes seemed to be gypsy costumes. We saw lots of the those floating around. I guess Alaska girls take every opportunity to show off their tummies when they can, since most of the year it's too cold to do so.
Since Logan's brother had dropped us off so he could jaunt around Anchorage while we were doing that, we ended up walking down Tudor to a gas station to get something to drink. (If you have to pay for it, at least get something you know you like, right?) Then we walked back and sat on the lawn out front until Ben arrived.
I got tons of second glances from passing cars (and their drivers, too), and people were stopping me inside the gas station to ask about my costume and about the fair. They assumed I worked there. Apparently my costume is professional looking up here, when it barely passed any kind of muster in California. One little girl was shrieking to her mom, "Mommy, look at her dress, look at her dress!" And she asked me what kind of dress it was.
I guess I've finally found my smaller pond.
Monday, June 1, 2009
All is forgiven ...
Last summer sucked in the weather department. Anyone who visited us was lucky if they got a nice day in there. There were only four days where we actually hit 70 degrees.
This summer is more than making up for it. We've had lovely weather since mid April, with a couple of rainy exceptions. At first, when Logan's brother arrived a few days ago, we thought he'd brought the rain with him and that this trip would look exactly the same as last trip. But the sky is clearing up rather nicely. I hope it will clear up even more by the time the boys get home from their hunting trip.
Hunting here is the national pastime, that and fishing. So Logan and Ben are going on a bear hunt as I type, along with Logan's boss. They shipped out of Whittier. Haven't heard about their luck yet.
I've come to a rather important decision. I'm going to open my own dojo-slash-fitness center. I plan to teach martial arts classes and also have a massage room as well. I want to add fitness classes as well, such as kickboxing, and I hope I can afford to license my school with BTS so I can teach the classes I'm certified to teach at the club here. I want it to be family oriented, a place where wives and mothers will want to attend classes, too, not just the husbands and children. Being a female instructor (and quite possibly the only one in town!) I think will help in that arena.
I would appreciate any advice and information anyone can pass along to me as I begin this new adventure. I've started researching and reading, looking at potential places, and maintaining my certifications.
At least now I understand when the locals were proclaiming the wonders of an Alaskan summer. (A la Madeline Kahn) It's twue! Oh, it's twue, it's twue!
This summer is more than making up for it. We've had lovely weather since mid April, with a couple of rainy exceptions. At first, when Logan's brother arrived a few days ago, we thought he'd brought the rain with him and that this trip would look exactly the same as last trip. But the sky is clearing up rather nicely. I hope it will clear up even more by the time the boys get home from their hunting trip.
Hunting here is the national pastime, that and fishing. So Logan and Ben are going on a bear hunt as I type, along with Logan's boss. They shipped out of Whittier. Haven't heard about their luck yet.
I've come to a rather important decision. I'm going to open my own dojo-slash-fitness center. I plan to teach martial arts classes and also have a massage room as well. I want to add fitness classes as well, such as kickboxing, and I hope I can afford to license my school with BTS so I can teach the classes I'm certified to teach at the club here. I want it to be family oriented, a place where wives and mothers will want to attend classes, too, not just the husbands and children. Being a female instructor (and quite possibly the only one in town!) I think will help in that arena.
I would appreciate any advice and information anyone can pass along to me as I begin this new adventure. I've started researching and reading, looking at potential places, and maintaining my certifications.
At least now I understand when the locals were proclaiming the wonders of an Alaskan summer. (A la Madeline Kahn) It's twue! Oh, it's twue, it's twue!
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