In Mourning...

some days are just like this, aren't they:

 the above photo is from the new AMC series "the walking dead". i'm here to tell you, this show is the best thing to hit TV in, like, forever. who can resist the zombie love?!? their first season just ended, and i have to say, it seems to me that seasons should be MUCH longer than six episodes. that's a season of what? a month and a half at one weekly? MORE! must have MORE zombies!!

this is my new favorite tv...and i heart it because of dvr, which largely also makes it commercial free. 

today, that is all.

peace.

thanksgiving, 2010

this was a good year. as mentioned in the last post, holidays leave a lingering tinge of sadness now, as the specter of missing mom is always in the back of my mind, but i guess i am beginning to feel like every successful and loving holiday we have pays homage and honors her because so much of what i am is attributable to her...

the kids came over...david and brianna, with their respective love interests. we had dave's lady annette and her two adorable littles, mathis and lindsey...and larry came over after dinner to visit. bri's friends flor and julio, and ashley were there, dan's friend chris, and joy and her man, mike. it was festive! here's photographic proof, photos taken by mike:

This was the BEST GRAVY EVER!! Seriously, that I'd ever made...

Bri Bri and her Larry

Getting the full on...

Funny thing is, he didn't really event eat. When Thanksgiving attacks =)

Gramma Joy. 'Nuff said =)

Bear Bear sitting ON Joy's phone...

Seesters, working together to make it all happen...

SO FULL...

Joy getting funky with the taters.

Mashin' taters and makin' gravy

When Dave was little, if you asked him to smile for the camera, he smiled and closed his eyes, so a good pic could never be taken. History repeats itself =)

Bellied up to the table, in the midst of the feast.

The crew, lounging around and visiting before we ate.

My gorgeous turkey!

new technology...

so....my honey bought me a kindle.

 

that's what it looks like. i can't believe how tiny and thin it is. the fact that this little device can hold all my geek joy amazes me. truly. like, i can't believe how much it amazes me. you can debate the pros and cons of these sorts of reader devices, but in the end, they are all pretty much the same. kindle is somewhat proprietary, but there are ways around that. they require a small investment of time to convert files and figure out, but for an enterprising geek family like me and mine, it doesn't seem too bad.

there's some stuff i need to play with and learn about this kindle thingie, but i am excited, in general.

i've been saying for at least ten years that print books are a thing of the past. the joy and knowledge that comes from people WRITING books is something tangible that will arguably always exist, but the resources used in printing them, printing a specific run with no thought of how many will sell, and then reading the book once and then having to do something with it seems like an awful waste. this seems so much more efficient. now i wish textbook technology would catch up! purchase your kindle-education! and get all your books through that. huh....interesting thought =)

in other news, we have a new baby. dan can't conceive of having a bird not named fred, so this bird has been dubbed fred 2.0. here he is:



he is an amazingly sweet little baby. he's about four months old, and it's obviously a he. fred 1.0, we discovered posthumously, we believe might have been female. this guy has a really deep voice, and he's super smart. he seems to have picked up the sounds of many of the other birds he was with at the pet store. he doesn't make a lot of sounds yet, i think he's still figuring things out, but he makes me very happy. he's a total cuddler.

thanksgiving was last week, and the holidays still suck. i approach them now with a tinge of sadness, but no lingering ire. i cannot believe my mom's been gone almost four years. we fondly remembered her last thanksgiving while eating this year. "leg? what leg, i want some pie!"....sad, and yet, good memories.

i am going to post thanksgiving pics in their own entry.

peace out, yo.

morbid anniversary...

today is the 47th anniversary of the assassination of john f kennedy, the thirty-fifth president of the united states. prior to the lives lost on 9/11/2001, my generation had nothing of comparison that defined that generation, who all used to utter "i remember what i was doing the day kennedy was shot..."

my mom was of that generation, and as the anniversary of her death approaches, i find the need to relay stories about her that seem significant. sort of as tribute, or perhaps just to remember her...

as i went back into my little brain to search for that memory, i remember her saying, i think, that she had just gotten her hair done that morning. i think she worked at the time at the riverside, an old-school casino famous in reno when "the rat pack" was around. based on other pictures from even later than the time the assassination occurred, which was about six years before my time, the hair was probably some variation of bouffant...

she mentioned walking old-school downtown reno. on the corner of 1st and virginia streets, there used to be this woolworth's that had a lunch counter like the old style one's did. up until past the time that i was a teenager, that woolworth's and lunch counter remained there. she heard people screaming out in the street, and started to walk down the street. she passed a store front with tv's in the window and listened/watched the news of kennedy being shot:

 

i visited the area where he was shot quite by accident a couple of years ago, while attending a wedding in dallas. i didn't realize where we were until we were driving through the area. then i saw the x on the street, and the book repository. it was creepy, to stumble through a place of historical significance and not realize it until you are there. there is no preparation, it just sort of hits you.

wow. i seem to remember her mentioning walter cronkite. he passed away in 2009. guess i am feeling a tad somber today...but i did want to get my mom's story down.

peace.

i am the biggest nerd ever...

i've always been a geek. there, i said it.

over a year ago, i don't even remember where i heard about it from, but i saw or someone mentioned to me this awesome awesome new video by someone who i perceive as an independent artist, who had a really cool video out:

 

now, can i just say....i love this video. if you've never seen it, please go watch it. it's worth it, i swear, i will wait....
...
..
.

back? okay, good. i work attached to a marketing department, although i sort of consider myself the geek attached to all these creative geniuses. i have spent a lot of my life contemplating largely useless things. things like color, colors by themselves and in combination, color creation, composition, space, how to create positive and negative space, how we interact with our world, one-two-and-three dimensional space, things like that. many people have, and many people have just a little too much time on their hands. that would be me, apparently. i also love how technology adds to this mix and how innovative, creative and awesome mixed-media stuff can be.

so, i've had this video saved on youtube for over a year. occasionally with youtube, one must go through and clean out their stuff, because some stuff you had bookmarked or saved violated someone's copyright, causing the dreaded infringement, so videos have been removed, or moved into a category called vevo where youtube can make you watch a commercial for each video you want to see. LAME...but that's another talk for another time...in watching this video again, near the end, there's a little red bubble that says "watch 'Her Morning Elegance' behind the scenes", and it's a hyperlink, so i click on it:

 

turns out, once the video was made and got a lot of attention for it's ingenuity, those taking the original still photographs broke down the video again into its component parts of 2096 individual photographs. now, they are selling them, only one copy of each photograph will be sold world wide. this speaks to me on so very many levels! it makes my little geek heart go squeeee! now, i have no idea if i will be able to come up with $250 for a single art print. as art goes, that's not overly expensive, but when yer a poor brown girl just trying to keep her house some days and saving for world domination travel, i don't know. but....i will pick one out, and keep my eye on it. perhaps the fates will smile upon me and i will end up with one.

how small our world has become that people in all different parts of the world can own a piece of this amazing, innovative video. i SO want to own a piece of this historical undertaking! here's a link to the site that's organizing it: Her Morning Elegance Gallery (link opens in new window).

yeah, i know.

i've reached new levels of geek.

and i'm okay with that.

peace, and happy friday, next week is thanksgiving, what are you thankful for?!?

Updatin'

So, the Hazards of Love is going amazing. I feel incredibly privileged to be a part of this group of amazing performers and people. Here's some youtube-age if you are interested in what we have done with things...

When moving this post, I discovered that the old Hazards videos were gone. I don't know if Jill removed them because they were not the most current iteration of the show, but I loved those videos, they were a moment in time and a memory. I am sad, but no one can take away the pictures. See below...it was a beautiful show I was proud to be a part of....(added 4/21/15 when transferring)
 
Life is very busy work-wise for me, too. I have been doing event staffing/security stuff for Lawlor Events Center and UNR Football and Basketball, and that's been more fun than I thought it would be. This weekend will be a cold game, outside, during the day. It's supposed to snow. BUT, I bought these groovy new gloves that I can give a blow job to and they will warm my hands. I will let everyone know how that works out and might even follow-up with pics...

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to get to see, arguably, three of Tribal/Fusion Belly Dances most famous, talented, amazing artists. Rachel Brice, Zoe Jakes and Mardi Love, who form The Indigo, brought Le Serpent Rouge to Reno. It ended up being a sold out show, which was very cool. I hope some promoters take that to heart and realize Reno can support such cool events =)

Here's the graphic:

It was a really, really good show and I have a new hero in Mardi Love. She was amazing. She wore this skirt that I wondered how it stayed on her body, but stay it did, she looked awesomely hot and she was very, very good. Here's a pic of her, taken by my friend Lisa Fisher:

Photo by Lisa Fisher

Truly a Goddess!

Here is one of my favorite "poses' if you will, from Hazards. This is Ms. Sharon, cradling Lindsy, who plays Margaret, but it's one of the things that struck me from the first time I saw the show run through. Beauty in motion!

Photo by Edward Hennessey

Even exhausted, I am so lucky to have my life. All these moments mean so much....life is amazing! This is a rough time of the year for me....as it gets closer to the time when my mom passed away. I can't believe it's been four years! I still miss her every single day, and I hope she would be proud of me, living this life.

For the rest of this week.....practice Thanksgiving, Football, more Hazards, dancing, and more more more beauty!

Peace!

The Decemberists...

So, I have this friend. She's a really awesome friend, and I've known her for over 30 years. We lost a lot of time in the middle there, but we spent some time together just yesterday and talked about how easy it was to talk to each other just because we both seem to "get" the same things =) This friends name is Jill, and she is producing a show that I agreed to stage manage for...

I won't pretend that I'd really heard of the Decemberists before she started talking about doing this show, but after seeing a rehearsal, I am excited about what this will be like. I am excited about working with Jill, and I think this show is going to be amazing. Here is the poster:

And here's the press-release-y information about the show:

Hazards of Love- A Tribute to the Decemberists.     Produced and Performed by  The Juxtaposeurs:  Jill Marlene and Company

The Hazards of Love is a Folk Rock Opera written by the incredibly diverse and virtuosic Indie band "The Decemberists" and it is being staged and performed live by some of Reno's premier musical and dance talent. Hazards of Love is an Mythical tale of two lovers who meet by chance through the veil that separates the mundane from the Magical. In a dark forest, called a Taiga, the heroine, Margaret, ventures beyond the safety of her village into the strange mystic woods where she happens upon a wounded creature. As she stops to help, the creature transforms into a man and they fall instantly in love. There is - as there always is in the darker fairy tales - a deadly twist. The lovers must face the jealous wrath of the great forest queen and the lust of the bold and remorseless villain.

The Show is staged with full ballet including aerial silks, classical and some modern movement. All music is live and features a wide variety of studio performers, professional musicians and a few extremely precocious youth. Part of proceeds will be given to the Reno High School Orchestra for instrument acquisition, repair and replacement.

Audiences are encouraged, should they so desire to dress in "old timey" or Steampunk attire... just for fun.

Directed and Produced by Jill Marlene, Musical Direction by Raymundo Silva and Chris Nelson, Choreography by Lindsy Roberts and Company.

November 12th, 13th 18th and 19th at 8 pm.~ Doors at 7
November 21st at 3 p.m. doors at 2 

All Performances at The Great Escape in the Sports West Plaza
Tickets are $10 and are available by calling 775-225-4421 At Prism Magic clothing and gifts or at the Melting Pot World Emporium

Cast:
Music~
Director, Producer, Voice of "The Queen"~ Jill Marlene
Musical Direction, Keyboards, Voice of "the Rake"~ Chris Nelson
Musical Direction, Recording Engineering and Bass Guitar- Raymundo Silva
Drums and Recording Engineering~ Tom Gordon
Guitar, Banjo, Co-production and Voice of "William"~ Gabriel Hiiton
Keyboards, Bass Clarinet, Creative Consultation and Vocals~ Kaitlin Oki 
Voice of "Margaret"~ Mary McNeill
Violin~ Bryan Macauliffe
Guitar, Mandolin and Banjo Instruction~ Doyle Wayne Stewart 
Electric Guitar~ Steve Widmer

Children (vocals and movement):
Charlotte~ Elaina Joy Snyder
Dawn~ Elsa Robison
Isaiah~ Ethan Robison

Cast (Movement)
All movement was largely choreographed by the cast under the supervision of Lindsy Roberts

Margaret~ Lindsy Roberts
William~ Nathan Robison
The Queen~ Erika Tauchen
The Rake~ Rory Dowd
THE FOREST~
Brave Legend
Lara St. John
Michael Enns
Kat Rosen
Sharon Neville
Teresa Moiola.

Stage Manager~ Danielle Gann-Lind

Post Performance entertainment~
12~ Mark Earnest,
13th~ the Electric Catfish
18th~ Michelle Pappas
19th~ Todd South
21st~ Gabe Hilton followed by the Grups.

It should be a good time.

You should come.

Really.

Peace.

gender politics...

before i go further let me just say that while pursuing my college degree, i got a minor in women's studies, so gender politics and such have always interested me and been absolutely fascinating to me.

so, in examining what's been happening in the world lately, we recently celebrated national "coming out" day (October 11th in the US and October 12 in the UK). sort of on the heels of that, in my mind, is the recent campaign by some media outlets championing the "it gets better" campaign, after a rash of suicides from young people who were either bullied or victimized because of their sexuality or something about them in general, often the perception or actuality that they are gay. honestly, people, who cares? at any rate, here are a couple of recent really awesome thoughts on the subject....

this was posted to the "women of khaki" email list, which is a list who's members are all female black rock rangers, and it's a blog about a mom who got some serious crap because her five year old son wanted to be Daphne for Halloween:

My Son is Gay

The second thing are two videos that I very much admire for the message they send as part of the "it gets better" campaign. Tim Gunn of Project Runway fame, and President Obama. I am sure there are other admirable videos, these are just two that struck me.

Tim Gunn:

President Obama:

 

I love that this is an issue that people like our president and prominent public figures feel is important enough to create public service announcements for. It's stuff like this that gives me hope.

 Peace.

AUTHENTIC Reno Celtic Celebration...

First, a little background information...a couple of years ago, I began reading these books. These books are about Celtic people in general, and Scottish Highlanders in particular. I am here to tell you, NOTHING has captivated my interest in a long time, like these books. The books are by Diana Gabaldon, and it is the Outlander series. Jaime and Claire are two of my hero's, and I can't wait to see what happens to them next! Hunky Highlander!

I have, at many times in my life been an absolutely avid reader, but I am one of those people that once I read a book, I cannot reread it. Until Diana's books. There is so much to them, and there is so much detail and HISTORY in them, that one cannot help but reread. The first time, you want to know what's happening in the STORY. Subsequent times show you what you missed. Not intentionally, but skimmed over because you were worried about WHAT CAME NEXT. These books are awesome! My geek-love for Diana reached unknown boundaries when I began to participate in an online forum she also frequents, the Books and Writers Community, originally through Compuserve, purchased by AOL, yadda yadda. I've interacted with Diana a few times, and she seems like a pretty cool person. Anyway, moving on...

I began to learn and absorb things about Celtic culture. I was raised by mom, my dad died about a month before I turned seven, so what little family traditions and such we grew up with, came from her. Her background is Hispanic and Native American, but there was NO NA influence in our lives. At the time my mom came of age, people with Native blood learned to be VERY ashamed of it.

What I never thought about until this couple of years ago, is that the other half of my heritage is IRISH! I am half Celt too! Hey, that's ME!! I think. We didn't keep in close contact with whatever was left of my dad's family, so I am not 100% sure, but my dad looks like an Irish guy. Red hair, never tanned, super white skin, and from stories told, he definitely handled the drinking gene. I began to get interested in Celtic things and learn what I could.

For the second year now, at the beginning of October, I spend a weekend getting some serious Geek on. Our local folks hold a Celtic Celebration, and last year was my first one, although I understand they've been doing it for awhile. This year, I got to see amazing things, and meet really cool people. One of the most AMAZING things I saw was HIGHLAND COOS!!

They were so cute! I wanted to take them home, but I don't think that would have been good. Although their pens were about the size of my backyard, I don't think they would have liked it much =)

Saturday, we had an awesome day! We met amazing people and it was BUSY! Sunday was just as amazing, but moreso because we had AUTHENTIC WEATHER:

Folks who know how seldom it rains in Reno know what a site this was! It was beautiful! To me, it made the celebration that much more special! I also got to meet an amazing and awesome Scottish couple from near Edinburra (Edinburgh). There son was giving some sort of talk, and his mom said "He's a good laddie". It was awesome. Then there was the Irish guy who walked up and said "Do ye take crrrrreeeedit cccaaarrrds?" None of the other folks working the front could understand him, and I did! So I got the pleasure of telling him where the ATM machine was, but he could have burrrrred at me all day and I would die a happy woman!

At one point, a small group of three young men strolled to the entrance gate, where I was working, one of them had a plaid on, bare legs and what looked like knee high Jack boots. The boots were playa-fied, so I said to him "Those boots look playa-fied". "Yep," he says, "In fact, this whole outfit was gotten for Burning Man". We laughed and I wished him an enjoyable time at the Festival.

The quote of the day came at the very end. A piper came down the hill, past the front gate and returned a little while later with some friends, who asked "We heard you were giving away free t-shirts. Is that true?" Well, we had discounted the t-shirts, but weren't giving them away, so we said so. A little while later, this same man drives towards the gate, ready to leave, and rolls down his car window to see if we are giving away t-shirts yet. He's driving a very nice, if slightly damp, newish BMW 5-series car. Hmmm. The guy in the kilt who was a burner and his friends were walking behind the guy in the Beemer and says "You're driving a BMW for Fuck's Sakes, pay the Five Dollars for a t-shirt".

I love my life.

Peace.

seasons change...

it's really only been in the last few days that fall seems to have arrived in the truckee meadows with finality. we had some rain, and it was cold for a little bit after (and DURING) the migration home from the playa, but then it warmed again and we were treated to near-idyllic days with cool/chilly mornings and warm days/afternoons...

Photo by Kristen, Ranger Social 2010

another year of burning man has passed, and a friend of mine, scotto, makes it a point to reflect after each burn and codify what lessons he learned. i think that's a pretty nifty idea, so here is what i learned from burning man 2010:

• sometimes less really is more, especially when it comes to working on the playa!
• always be willing to take advantage of opportunity when it knocks, sometimes wonderful things happen to good people.
• friends are the family you choose, and the importance of that family during vacation, survival in harsh desert environs and thru dust storms and drama is not to be undervalued.
• be good enough at what you do to realize your shortcomings and brave enough to let go when someone who CAN do what you were tasked to do comes along to take over. the importance of knowing when you've found your replacement is cannot be overstated.
• men look cute in tutu's also!
• b1rd's can do GREAT on the playa, if you care about them enough to give them adequate care and lots of love and attention. chickens? not so sure...
• some people should not give lap dances; some stuff just CANNOT be scrubbed from the retinas.
• massages on playa are sublime!
• double rainbows are ALWAYS the bomb!

Photo by Twita2005 on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/twita/

i am pretty sure i've done this before, in another venue. if i find those posts, i may bring them here. not sure yet, as burning man is undeniably a part of my history.

i was going to write something about teaching SEED's in this post. this has been an amazing experience for me, so far. in many ways, i feel like i've failed my daughter for some of the rough times she went through, and i can't count the amount of time i've spent reparenting myself to correct wrongs of my past. adolescence is a traumatic and confusing time, and i wasn't sure how i'd respond to helping others through it...

Used under creative commons license. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pomegranate_opened.jpg

i have become very attached to the seedlings in our program. they make me smile, i am awed by their grace, willingness to learn, their bravery and their ability to be candid. i can't wait to see where this year takes me!

that's what i am up to. it's time, at the time, to become introspective, as it always is when the wheel of my own persona year turns. i experience "new year" somewhere between the end of burning man and samhain =) my pagan heart says samhain, but so much of my year culminates at burning man, i think the older i get, the less absolutes i have in my world, the better =)

i've recently been participating in some "open to love pujas"....ceremonies given by a friend once a month at a local yoga studio where people learn to connect on many different levels. there's one thursday and man, am i looking forward to it. i have been feeling adrift and a tad sorry for myself of late. but never, NEVER so sorry that i would wish to be anyone but who i am, experiencing the life i have. my blessings are so great that i wonder every day at how lucky i am.

peace.

going, going gone....

that could be my brain, i'm not sure yet =) the summer has flow, and compression is done. i went in to this compression saying this would be my last one, and then it was the most successful i've done. and then politics got involved, which i don't want to muddy this post with, and things got ugly. as it stands now, i will do compression again. i will be a part of compression until people under 18 are legally allowed to practice the art of fire spinning at the festival. i've said to many people this year that one sure-fire way to make sure i do something until the end of time is to tell me that i can't. and here we are =) here's a slideshow of the festival that represents some favorite pictures of the day:

one of my favorite parts of the day were the amazing volunteers that showed up and gave their all for the festival, working only for food, water, our thanks, and a t-shirt:

so very much has changed. for the first time ever, i almost have empty next syndrome. my kids are gone, on their own, and dan's son, dan, is living with us. it's been a real joy getting to know him. he's a great kid. 

after 22 years, my husband is no longer attached to the army. i thought it was a really good thing and i was looking forward to it, but i had no idea it would create such internal strife for him. i feel for him, i wish there was more i could do, and at the same time, i know this is a path he must walk alone and something he must work through. it hasn't been easy, though. i meditate constantly for patience and fortitude to get through these times. 

my sis, my friend, no longer lives with us. in the end, i think it was a good thing for her. she was in a serious rut. she's on the playa now and i am not, but i think that's amazing and good. i am sometimes lonely right now. 

we also got through our first teaching experience with SEEDS. the very first was a short program we did for dilworth middle school, then we did our two week summer institute. both were amazing and made me feel humbled, jaded but also made me have hope and warmed my heart that i could share the dance i love with others. there are pictures that should be added here, but time is of the essence, so they won't be, yet. 

i am not sure i will get here again before the playa, i shall try. i try to fit everything in, and it's not working so good for me. 

i've also gotten another job, which should cut down a lot on all other activities except work. that should work great for both weight loss and spending/saving money. here's hoping. security guard here i come! 

my son went on his mid-deployment liberty to columbia and survived the experience. he says the time had was grand and one of the best times he remembers. he deserves it after being in the desert for the time he has. it's best not to say more about that =) 

that's all for now, just a quick update. 

peace.

time flies, but is it fun?!?!

and many say, if it isn't fun, why do it?!? why, indeed =) last weekend, i spent my first weekend working for "high rock security". it was quite an interesting and fun experience. i got to work the "harmony festival", in santa rosa california. i got to spend the ride down with a good friend, and the ride home with a new friend. this was my little camping space, at our compound at harmony:

now, lest you not appreciate the enormity of this, let me just say it's probably been more than ten years since i've slept on the ground, so this was quite a challenge to me. we later had very nice RV's i got to sleep in the last night, but mostly, i wanted to stay in this tent to see if i could do it. i am happy to report that i could and i did, and with no sore muscles or aching old bodies, either. pretty decent for a chubby old lady =) here's our compound:

and finally, this was the harmony festival before thousands more than we saw friday descended on this urban hippy fest:

i will say only that i am inspired and amused at the various and sundry ways in which urban hippies will try to get out of paying for said urban hippy fest and still enjoy the festivities. it was an educational and amazing experience for me on a lot of different levels. soon, i shall be a california licensed security guard. i am not sure if i should feel proud of afraid =)

in the ensuing week, times are a-changing for me and mine. i am almost experiencing empty nest now. chris is in afghanistan, and looking forward to his liberty soon in columbia. it's a part of the world he's never seen before and neither have i. i can't wait to hear of his adventures. he's busy out living life, but i sure wish he was more cerebral in recording it...mostly so i can live vicariously through him...wishes for safe travels are definitely being sent his way....

about a week ago now, bri moved out again, too. i am very proud of her. she moved back down to where she lived before, with corey. this was her choice, and i think a good thing for her. sometimes i think it's good to shake people up and make sure they are still on their toes =) and in anticipation of our lives changing drastically due to dan's military retirement, we now have no one living in our house who isn't contributing financially. we couldn't do it anymore. there's a part of me that feels guilty about asking people to leave when i know they were depending on me to "take care of them"...but then another part of me feels colossally relieved, the atmosphere in my house seems much lighter, the house is LOADS cleaner, and in general, i feel very good about what has happened. other adults shouldn't have to take care of each other, except for the normal ebb and flow that occurs when partners lives change and evolve.

this weekend that just passed, was spent experiencing ranger love, in various forms. ranger training was attended, ranger friends not seen for awhile seen and loved up on, gifts given, gifts received, and a whole lot of goodness going on! i heart my khaki clan!

that's about it for the moment. just about a month to compression. holy crap!

peace!

Black Rock Rendezvous...

so, this desert. owns a piece of my soul. so much has happened there. joy fear release creativity art mine and others. being in or on the desert when no one else is there is amazing. a friend recently shared that she had heard "absolute silence" for the first time. that sensation and feeling is like a comfortable old pair of shoes for me, but slipping back into them is always amazing, like a hug to your spirit. this weekend was special, though. this group of amazing people have this organization to help preserve and protect this amazing desert and area, and they had a shindig. we showed up early and the above picture is the weather we encountered. we huddled down in our little tent trailer, and existed. we chatted, read, spent time together, laughed, joked, and had a great time. we listened to the rain hit the canvas of the trailer. it always seemed louder on the canvas than it did when you had to walk out in it. it probably rained for near eight hours before there was any standing water on the playa, but once there was, it pretty much hung around all weekend...seeing the rivulets and wash outs where the desert chooses to put it's water as it snakes out into the playa is a beautiful thing to watch. here's the water collected in a tarp in the back of our truck at one point:

at some point before the rain started, we found a little lizard, a horned toad, i've heard from a couple of people. he was so cute and man was he cold! i don't think i would like to be a reptile:

at one point, we did seem like the only people on the planet. visibility across the playa was minimal, you couldn't see the mountains on the far side, and there was a feeling of being marooned. here's my sister, loving life in the middle of all this expanse:

later, more people came. this was both a blessing and a curse =) it was amazing to see friends, make new friends, reacquaint with those not seen for awhile, and get to know better those we had seen, but perhaps not known as well. some very awesome friends, eric and lynn, brought some amazing fire toys. the illumishrooms:

this takes creativity! i want to build something like this! with my own design, but this isn't complicated, at least not the design, but it works very well together. eric did this. he's the man. here's his little mini poofer too:

and those are all the pictures. sometimes i wish we could have one of those sieve things like they have in harry potter...where you can wisp out all your favorite memories and put them somewhere for safe-keeping and then string them out and "reinstall" them to relive them again whenever you need a pick-me-up. somehow, i think some folks, however, would become addicted to this. i might even be one of them =) this was definitely one of those weekends! caught up with the major things, at least those i am willing to write about at this moment =) there's always stuff on the horizon, but i need to think about things for awhile first before i share them with folks. i hope you understand.

 ~peace

Adventures in Insanity...

ahhh....i still marvel all the time at how lucky i am, to have the life i do =) in my last post, i mentioned the fire weekend, and graduation. before any of THAT happened, our local food coop was having a local seedling sale. i really wanted plants that were proven locally, and that real people had raised and had luck with, so tomatoes and peppers were gotten, various varieties of each.  then was graduation. here is a pic of my surrogate daughter, yurie and her mom after graduation:

i was so proud of her! i know i had nothing to do with raising her, her mom did a fantastic job of that, but since she's been here, and the entire time she's dated and been friends with my son, i have come to love this girl! i think she graduated with a double major, one was accounting and maybe international business. she was a mad woman with the taking of the classes, and dealt with all the stuff she had to do to support my son being in Afghanistan too. yes, i cried! it's likely the only time i will get to meet her mom, and while it wasn't a long moment, it was a good one... then, we were finishing up the yard, so we needed to plant and get out to the fire gathering. THAT, too, was amazing. i was worried about going ALL THE WAY out to gardnerville, but it was a quick trip, and as soon as we got there, i knew it was going to be a good time. here's some of the crowd, just chillin':

then, a few of my favorite people were there. cody, his brother cory, and cory's fiance' chelsea among them. here's cody :

and here's another of my favorite people, grin:

finally, later that night, things began to light up. here's a pic of the giant ex-propane tank that was 

converted into an amazing piece of art:

and while there was fire spinning that night, i did not personally indulge. i was having a bit of a sore back from all the yard work. cory is a kick-ass staff spinner, but in a rare moment, was caught on film spinning poi:

i was going to write about the black rock rendezvous in this post too, but i think that deserves it's own post, so that will be next. the fire gathering was ostensibly to build fire barrels and other artwork and for a variety of reasons, not much on THAT front was accomplished, but our progress in friend-making, merry-making, visiting, sharing, and general camaraderie went beyond anything i hoped for! this was a GREAT time! one of the best things about the weekend was the fact that dan came out with me. i am pretty used to doing these sorts of things alone, but it was sure nice that he was there. gosh, i love that guy =) until the rednezvous post....

 ~peace

not quite a month....

since i've updated, so see, i am updating more often =) the jazz festival was amazing, as always. i think i am addicted to annual events. the jazz festival, burning man, artown, birthdays, annual celebrations of all the things that are important to us. each one seems to encapsulate a point in time, an event, a time in the history of this life. i always feel introspective about my birthday, can you tell?!? Just for random happy imaging, here's a photo from the latest fashion show:

i will be 42 in about a week and a half. my good friend lauren introduced me to this show that appears on showtime called "this american life". if you haven't seen this blog, it's totally worth it to check it out. it's introspective too. as the weather gets warmer, things start to speed up around here. this weekend, we go camping over night to a fire gathering with a bunch of groovy fire bugs i am friends with. before that i get to go to the university commencement ceremonies. my son's ex-girlfriend, still friend and his best friend from high school, calen, are graduating. i am proud of them, think if my son in afghanistan and am a tad sad, but my son tells me he's happy, so i deal with that my sadness that he's taking part in the war. in other big news concerning my life, my husband was non-retained in the national guard. after 22 years, he won't be serving his country anymore, thankyouverymuch. this is going to be a huge transition for him. i was very worried about him at first, but he is doing better these days. the same week dan found out that he was going to be retired from the national guard, we had to put our dog to sleep. mog was an awesome dog, but he was suffering. his back legs weren't working so good anymore, and i will always wonder if those strange lumps he had were cancer. he seemed happy until almost the end. this photo was taken the night before we put mog to sleep:

it's a dark picture, which i think is appropriate. i hadn't cried over him in awhile until just now =) mog was one of a kind and he will never be replaced.

now we have a bird. his name is fred:

Fred's a pretty goofy chicken. we heart him already. he was hand raised; and he's a cockatiel. we are already very attached to him. that's all i have for right now. upcoming activities:

• tonight i am going to get my bike tuned up and see how to work on it.
• this weekend is the fire thing i am excited about and unr graduation
• also working on a yard overhaul at the house, more documentation to come...
• end of may, black rock rendezvous, more camping on the black rock desert and testing camping with the fred, should be entertaining
• fire festival is just over two months away. yeeee haw

now, THIS weekend....

is going to be another adventure altogether. I really am trying to update this thing more often. I am debating whether or not i should link this blog to my other blog....jury's still out on that one...

I consider myself one of the luckiest persons in the entire world. I live in an amazing place, and I am gifted to get to do some of the coolest stuff EVER!

THIS thursday, I am participating in a fashion show. If you had asked me even a year ago if I thought Iwould ever be a model, I would have laughed at you. I am a big girl, and not what a lot of people would consider traditionally pretty. Then I started talking to my friend Lauren. Last Winter, at the beginning of December, she did a show called "Luscious Ladies: A Fat Girl Fashion Show". It was amazing. I'd never had hair and makeup done before like that. I felt like a diva, and the clothes Lauren made were amazing. They were made for ME and they were designed to make ME look awesome! I so appreciate her for that, she's cool like that. Here's a pic from that show:

Well she is doing it again, this Thursday, as part of a more mainstream fashion show. Here are details, I hope this pic is big enough to see details:

This is a great opportunity for folks to see what can be made from recycled stuff. See that awesome tuxedo coat above there in the first pic? That was made from a bedspread that was found at a thrift store. A-MAZING. Lauren is so amazingly talented when it comes to sewing. Really. She's one of my hero's. Then Friday begins another adventure. I work for the University. It's what I think is one of the coolest departments because we get to host and help produce many of the funky and cool events and programs on campus. This weekend will be the 48th annual Reno Jazz Festival. I have been lucky enough to get to volunteer for this amazing festival for the last ten years. The Jazz Festival has a special place in my heart because when I was a teenager, I got to participate in the Jazz Festival, and now I get to work it. I have met some of the coolest people one will ever know, and I have seen talent that cannot be believed. I am sure some day I will see someone I've heard sing at this festival on American Idol or other famous venue. I've also met some amazing artists and adjudicators. My role in this wild thing is varied....I am the site coordinator for Lawlor Events Center. This is what the outside of Lawlor looks like during the festival, but there's often more people milling about:

Once someone comes inside, they see our tables all setup:

Those are my coworkers Debbie and Julie. They work at Extended Studies with me year-round and also volunteer to work the Jazz Festival. We sell t-shirts, and we direct people where to go, sell wrist bands, and pretty much handle festival logistics for this venue. We handle only two different things at Lawlor. We do vocal groups or choirs and we do B & C bands, in the President's Room. We also post the scores for the choirs ONLY at Lawlor, here is someone checking them out:

Here is the sign outside Lawlor, advertising last years showcase concert:

These are all for last years festival, by the way. Last year, we had this really cool cat named Scott Barnett from UNR Insight Magazine who hung out with us and took all these pictures. He was way fun to talk to, and he got some great shots of the festival. Credit where credit is due an all that. This year, I will likely take my own pics =)

So, back to my day in the life... Here's what the inside of the President's Room looks like, with a band playing:

And here's a sound board. One really can't say enough about the technical staff that works this festival. These guys do amazing things several times a day trying to make all the groups happy with sound. Their days are at least as long as ours. At least we get to leave the rooms and walk around!

Here are the judges in the Presidents room, concentrating intently on having good comments for the performing group:

 

Here's inside the choir room, with Madeline Eastman teaching two girls during her clinic last year:

 

Saturday, after competition ends, we make a mad dash to get all the awards ready for the festival participants, while at the same time, trying to get the showcase groups situated based on who will play that night. Here's the awards, all layed out:

Here's my favorite shot from the one's taken of the showcase. The secret knowledge and expression on this guys face is priceless:

And finally, after months of preparation, hours of work, two days of long shifts, stiff competition, and all the drama that goes along with it, we are almost at the end, so here's a group shot with my compadres and me:

I'm going to have a great weekend! How about you?!?! Peace!