The ShanMonster Page: May 12

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Change in Priorities (16:04 ADT, The ShanMonster)

For this week, I'm abandoning the gym in favour of completing a new dance costume. It's been at least a year since I've made a new costume, and I've been itching to remedy that. I'm not working on the Tarzan/Rambo-style costume--yet.

For now, it's a hot little tribaret number in red tulle-bi-telli with gold accents. After finishing up with the skirt, I spent yesterday turning a lime-green bra into a halter-backed red and black top with gold and black tassel fringe and gold coins. It's almost finished. I just need to add chain swags, a strategically-located brass bell, and maybe a few more tassels. This morning, I cut out the template for the matching belt. Let's see if I can finish it all by Friday. If so, I have a pretty good inkling as to what I'll wear at Kathryn and Zed's wedding reception....

Today I began to experiment with layering movement with my poi spinning. I'm figuring out the physics of turns and level changes, and all of a sudden, I feel like I'm actually dancing instead of just spinning tennis balls around. I need to figure out which movements I can harvest from kung fu and raqs sharqi. I think I'll be able to scavenge more from the former than the latter, primarily with legwork. Hmm. I wonder how I can incorporate spinning crescent kicks? I'll save that for my next break, I guess.

Saturday, May 14, 2005

One More Hour (20:03 ADT, The ShanMonster)

One more hour.

I would love a glass of wine, right now. I haven't had wine in months, and I have a craving. It was probably brought about by the bottle of wine Kathryn received during her bridal shower this morning. It just looked so pretty nestled in a basket with a bouquet of flowers.

That reminds me: I must wrap up my gift for her so she has no idea what it may be. How can I disguise it to look like a puppy or something, I wonder....

Work is wondrously slow. The day is zipping by, and my throat isn't worn out from excessive talking. I may actually have some brainpower left when my shift is over! Poor Ryan who sits next to me had to leave early. Something he ate was trying to claw its way out his intestines or something. Eep. There but for the grace of Yog Soggoth go I. We both ate at Subway for our suppers.

I did Suhaila Salimpour's Pilates workout this morning. I enjoyed this one more than the glutes video. Although there were parts I didn't find terribly useful for myself (the glute-toning stuff is too easy for my iron-clad butt), I found the isolation exercises and drills very useful. I can see myself adding them to my regular training regimen. I cannot keep up with the internal pelvic square drill done at full speed. The shame! The horror! The need for more practice!

I'm Such a Liar (14:30 ADT, The ShanMonster)

When a customer told me she would be spending the day playing golf, I said, "Oh! That sounds like fun!"

I almost believed myself.

Yesterday, a politician called to book a room and he preached at me, born-again conservative style, about how the old system had to be thrown out and a new one brought in. I remained neutral, and eventually switched the chit-chat over to safer topics, like New Brunswick geography.

I did a good job pretending not to hate politics.

....

I attended a "surprise" bridal brunch this morning. The truth is, Kathryn knew all about it. But everyone else thought it was a surprise, so I didn't ruin it for them. The food was veddy veddy good. But now my tummy is empty again, and I don't have my lunch break for another hour. Can I hold out? We shall see.

Last night, I watched Spider. It wasn't a typical Cronenberg flick. There were no guns made of meat. However, Ralph Fiennes' horrific fingernails supplied enough squick to compensate. Yikes! I really enjoyed the film, but I think it would be too slow-paced for most viewers. If you're in the mood to see languid suspense from the point of view of an absolutely fuckered Ralph Fiennes, this is your film.

I heart Ralph Fiennes. He's still on my list of hotties.

Despite those horrific fingernails.

Friday, May 13, 2005

Random Playlist Du Jour (22:12 ADT, The ShanMonster)

And I do mean random. I think my tastes are rather eclectic.

Goldfrapp - Black Cherry
Gene Kelly - Singing in the Rain
Feeding Like Butterflies - Rasputin
Fredo Viola - The Turn
Splashdown - So Ha
Grim Faeries - Love is Hell
Kardinall Offishall - Belly Dancer
MC Hawking - What We Need More of Is Science
Probing Cranks - Tuxtla
Jackie Chan - Ming Ming Pai Pai Wo De Xin

Massively Unimpressed (16:35 ADT, The ShanMonster)

It's supposed to be getting better.

I just found out my new schedule.

It looks like kung fu and hiphop classes are a thing of the past. I'm stuck working night shifts again: M-F from 4:30-1:15. Gross me out. This also means I'll be having a one-day weekend at the end of the month. Blech.

Whoa (11:32 ADT, The ShanMonster)

So a Rabbi just called me. He was a guest in one of our hotels several months back. He just realized he had one of our ballpoint pens, and wanted to know if he should bring it back. I told him that no, he could keep it, if he wanted to. Oi. I'm afraid he cuted me out.

And a few minutes later, I got someone calling up to check on a reservation made at an entirely different hotel chain, even though they were well aware of the fact they hadn't booked with our company.

Yesterday, a highly indignant man called up, insisting he had booked a reservation with one of our hotels. I searched high and low, and called the hotel directly to search for his reservation. Finally, when I'd exhausted all possibilities for finding his missing reservation, he admitted he'd never actually booked with us, but was hoping we could find him a reservation.

My mind boggles.

In other news, f00dave and Kathryn had supper ready for me when I got home last night. Awww! And I even have leftover fruit salad for my lunch today. That's pretty sweet. We watched The Punisher. Oh. Whoa. What a bad movie. It would have been merely mediocre, but the skull-shaped car inferno and the heavy-handed ending cemented its position in the pantheon of truly awful films.

Check out the newest bad idea from American bill-makers: Title IX Under Attack: "Without any notice or public input, the Department of Education recently issued a new Title IX policy under the guise of a "Clarification" that threatens to reverse the decades of progress women and girls have made in sports. Schools can now claim they are providing women and girls with equal opportunities to play sports based only on results from an e-mail survey of female students' interests in sports." Hoorah.

Thursday, May 12, 2005

St. Body Cathedral (15:02 ADT, The ShanMonster)

New poi tricks du jour:

Mexican wave (half a butterfly in front and behind, alternating)
Threading the needle (I can kind of sort of maybe do this leading through on the right hand, but it's not pretty. I'll give it another day or two, and then maybe it'll be ok)

Yesterday, I was practicing outdoors when two punky-looking girls walked by. They complimented me on my poi, and said they did fire poi, themselves. When I told them I've been doing it for three weeks on my own, they were impressed. I have no idea how I'm progressing on the grand scheme of things, but it doesn't really matter, so long as I continue to progress. Here's to getting those new tricks I'm working on down pat!

I tried out Suhaila's buns video this morning. I found it pretty easy, with the exception of keeping on the beat for the 3/4 buttock isolations. I'm just not speedy enough! So I've been working on that between calls. I'm just vibrating in my chair. Anyone who sees me cannot doubt I'm a spaz.

In other news, the sitting area in the office building has been decorated by a bunch of little advertisement cards. I picked one up. It's promotional material for what appears to be a group of Wesleyan steroid-enhanced muscle men who lift for God. I want to go see them. This is just too wonky to miss. It's at the First Wesleyan Church at 131 Duncan Lane from Wednesday, June 1 to Sunday, June 5th at 7:00. Who wants to go to muscle church with me?

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Update: It's the end of my second break, and I can now thread the needle with either arm. It ain't pretty, but it's a start.

Link Dump (11:38 ADT, The ShanMonster)

Fashion Photography: NSFW, interesting fashion photography which plays with perception.

Neal Horsley Returns: "Alan's interview with the anti-abortion extremist last week got a lot of people talking, so he's back this Thursday, May 12th at 11pm ET to talk more about his views on sexuality and Christianity. If you missed the first interview, listen below. A Roll in the Hay? Neal Horsley makes a stunning admission about his experiences on a farm" (thanks, Danny)!

Pit-bull ban may reveal unwarranted prejudice: Canine genocide?

Power, Black: Interesting Engrish condom package (possibly NSFW).

Disturbing French AIDS PSA: Bad Shelob (NSFW)!

[So cute I could barf]

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