The ShanMonster Page: April 14

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

That Was Different (22:34 ADT, The ShanMonster)

I didn't get the chance to do my usual tricep cable pulldown today. Someone was hogging it. So I decided to go with some alternative exercises with barbells. That's when I noticed something new: I have numerous striations across my biceps. My body becomes more and more of a contour map as I train. I think I'm at the top of my biorhythmic cycle, right now. I've been overstuffed with energy this past week. It's awesome! I ran my quarter mile today, did my 100 jumping jacks, 50 dragons, and several runthroughs of kung fu forms, and finished feeling like I could have done it for twice as long. I upped more weights down in the gym, too.

On my first break at work, I went outside and practiced with my brand new poi. I think I have the single weave and the butterfly down, now. I can't transition very well, but I think it won't take me much longer to get it. Some of the other tricks look, well, trickier.

Work is pretty slow tonight, which I am grateful for. However, I'm not grateful for the atmosphere in here. Everyone is really loud and talkative, which makes it difficult for me to hear my customers. I've asked them to pipe down once already, and I may have to do it again. I don't want to be a party pooper, but I do want to be able to do my job without distraction.

Oh, shit.

I just realized I'm seeing migraine sparkles. They're not in the usual spot, though. That means it's probably a real migraine, and not my everpresent buddy. ... I just popped an Advil. Hopefully, that will nip it in the bud. If not, I'll have to go home early tonight. I can't work if I can't see. And I don't relish the thought of biking home in traffic while blind.

...

I just warned my supervisor that I'm getting a migraine, and she says there's no problem if I have to go early. It's slow enough here that they won't miss me.

I'm Back! (13:42 ADT, The ShanMonster)

Hoorah! The server is back up! I'm glad to see myself back online. Server issues kept the site away from me for almost a week.

I had a great weekend. It started off with me dancing until I was sore, then practicing poi, staff, and kung with with Kathryn and Justin. And yesterday, I hung out with f00 and Kathryn, and f00 made me my own set of poi. Afterwards, we had a delicious meal. The recipes are too incredible not to share, so I'll add them to my online cookbook:

Afterwards, we watched a couple of movies: First Blood and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. I was surprised to enjoy Rambo as much as I did. His monologue at the end of the movie made me appreciate his acting skills all the more. Why has he been blacklisted, anyhow? I like Sly! I see First Blood as a more modern, and slightly more realistic, version of Tarzan.

Anyhow, I'm off to the gym now before I go back to the phones. But first, here are a few more links:

Bob Jones University Student Expectations: This school gives me the willies.

Woman beats off burglar with gnome: Best CNN headline, ever!

Heroic Pit Bulls Save Woman From Attacking Chow: It's about time this maligned breed got some good press.

Surfer fends off shark attack: "A surfer fought off a two-meter (7-foot) shark with his board at an Australian beach Saturday -- then continued surfing, a life guard said." Ballsy or foolhardy? I'm not sure.

'Mad Max' Fan Convoy Ends in Arrests: "Eleven "Mad Max" fans were arrested after alarming motorists as they made their way to a movie marathon in a theatrical convoy in which they surrounded a tanker truck armed with fake machine guns."

Artist vandalises cars with key: "An artist who randomly vandalised nearly 50 cars for a project said the owners should be happy they were part of his 'creative process.'"

Decoded at last: the 'classical holy grail' that may rewrite the history of the world: "Scientists begin to unlock the secrets of papyrus scraps bearing long-lost words by the literary giants of Greece and Rome." Very cool!

Sunday, April 17, 2005

Link Dump! (01:14 ADT, The ShanMonster)

Work has mostly been slow, so here's a crop of nifty links I've been checking out: Scientist Urges Dormant Eggs to Life to Test Evolution: Very cool science article about how itty bitty critters have changed over the past few decades. Alice in Wonderland has something to do with it, too.

Student claims he was suspended for wearing makeup: Remarkable only for the fact that apparently Wiccans need to wear makeup (Buh?).

Jesus, the talking doll version: Remember the BLO (Barbie Liberation Organization), and how they transposed voice chips between Barbie and GI Joe? Well, I can see something like that happening with Jesus dolls. I want to be there.

Latest from MIT: Artificial Stupidity: "Fed up with invitations to submit papers for science conferences, three MIT students devised a software program that deliberately churned out nonsensical scientific gibberish. Now one of their computer-generated ``papers'' has been accepted by a Florida conference." I'm not surprised.

Hey, sailors ... Boating hotline leads to phone sex: Some local news for all you New Brunswickers. The funniest part is how the spokesman's last name is Bone. Hunh hunh hunh...

Cow Chip Shirts: I wonder if these could qualify as business casual.

Ok. That'll do for now.

Friday, April 15, 2005

Vestibular Woes (15:07 ADT, The ShanMonster)

I had one of those lightbulb moments today while going through the Rachel Brice DVD. I was trying to figure out her side to side figure 8 of shoulder/ribcage. I've been trying to figure out how she gets her movement so large while keeping her pelvis stationary. For some reason, I'd been leading through my shoulders all along, when I should have just been using contractions through my ribcage and obliques. With that sudden realization, my movement improved dramatically.

Psyched by that, I decided to go on to try out the Jillina advanced DVD. Footwork is my weak point, and Jillina is big on the footwork. I tried doing her spin with arm circles, and I'm all over the place. I wobble like a winding-down top. So I paused the DVD and tried it over and over again. Although I think the movement is finally beginning to make sense, I still teeter and feel nauseated from all the spinning. My gorge is somewhere just behind my epiglotus. Blarg! And to think that when I was a kid, I could spin for hours on a swing without even a twinge of vertigo. What ever happened to my stalwart equilibrium? I want it back! I can't do even one barrel turn without feeling the need to vomit. I guess I'll never become a circus aerialist.

I Can't Even Imagine Such a Thing (12:52 ADT, The ShanMonster)

Save me from them. They're getting dumber as the night goes on.

I just had a woman call me asking to book a room for next week. It was with a special plan where she'd need to send away for a voucher. This must be done at least two weeks in advance in order for the voucher to reach the customer in the mail.

The woman didn't have the voucher, so I told her about the two week policy.

"Well, it doesn't say anything about two weeks on the website. All it says is you have to book 14 days in advance."

I pause. "Ma'am, 14 days is two weeks."

"Is it really? Oh. I suppose it is."

And the call didn't get any better. When I explained the only room which would have been available had a pullout bed, she asked, "What's that?"

"It's a sofa bed."

"I can't even imagine such a thing."

"It's a couch which folds out into a bed."

She still couldn't imagine such a thing. Dear God.

And my next caller wasn't any better. When I asked her for the expiry date on her credit card, she said, "Thirty ten."

"No, the expiry date," I prompted.

"Thirty ten," she stated, in a very firm manner.

"Thirty is not a month, Ma'am."

"Oh. I suppose you're right. Ok. It's 11/06."

Buh?

Thursday, April 14, 2005

Holy Crap! (16:35 ADT, The ShanMonster)

I landed day shifts for next month: 11-7:45. It looks like I might be able to make the Sunday portion of the workshop, after all!

Ramble (16:35 ADT, The ShanMonster)

Work is gloriously slow. I've been here almost an hour and a half, and I've only booked three reservations. Now that's the way I like it! Having additional people on the phones has made a wonderful difference.

So what do I do to fill up my downtime? I brought a book with me, so I'm sure I'll be dipping into that (Paul J. McAuley's Child of the River, purchased on a whim at the grocery store this afternoon). I've been reading a lot of dance-related information at Bhuz, too. There's some really good stuff there. I got a concise breakdown on a movement which I knew only by reputation: the jewel (it's essentially a horizontal figure 8 of hips with a twist).

I added yet another element to my workout: running. I'm still not sure how this will work out. I'll keep an eye on my foot and see if it protests too much. I managed 1/4 mile on top of 100 jumping jacks, 60 dragons, and a few kung fu forms, and then I pumped some iron. My biceps have re-emerged. I'll probably be upping my weights for them this week.

I was supposed to attend an African dance workshop next week, but that won't be happening, now. The artists couldn't get their visas so they could get into the country, and their Canadian tour dates have all been cancelled. Craptastic.

Aziza will be giving a raqs sharqi workshop in Saint John next month. I know I won't be able to make the first day, but maybe, if I try really hard, I might be able to make the second day. I'll miss the show and the drum solo work, but I might be able to catch the veil and advanced fluid movement portion of the workshop. I'm particularly interested in the fluidity aspect. I'll probably be a zombie, because I doubt I'll be able to get the day before off, so I'll be getting home around 2:30 am, then getting up again around 6 to dance all day. I don't think I can do that and function. Maybe I'll be able to take a go-home-early.... I'm already working out a day off for the Friday. I'll be the monster of the bride for Kathryn.

In other news, my website has been AWOL for two days, now. I'm hoping the server issues will be resolved soon.

In the meantime, want to keep me occupied? Ask me some questions, and I might answer you with creative lies. Have at!

BPAL Spooky (16:35 ADT, The ShanMonster)

I decided to try a bit of Spooky today. At first, the smell was overwhelmingly cocoanut. But now, a bikeride and an hour and a half later, the overwhelming smell is of dust.

When f00dave wears it, it smells the same hours later as it does when he first bathes in wears it.

How bizarre! I guess it's just a body chemistry thing.

Encore Un Fois (16:35 ADT, The ShanMonster)

I'm leaving for work, shortly. First, let me clean out my browser tabs:

Headless, remote-controlled flies: Hoorah for mad scientists!

Charles annoyed by ski trip media: Unremarkable except for the rictus on Charles' face.

Be Nice to Your Mother: Mr. T says so.

Please Help Us Help Her! Kelly's Rape Story: You really can buy anything on eBay.

Happy Man: Absolutely pointless waste of time. Watch all the way through until all the heads have fallen down.

And now I'm off for another joyous night on the phones.

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