Winning The Dance Contest
A journal update is long overdue, and although I have yet to decide on how to chastise myself for this tardiness, I'm sure I'll think of an appropriate punishment soon enough. If nothing more, I could just stay at work for a few more hours and expose myself to some of the more catatonic campus coworkers.
I was in the Seattle area the weekend before last to celebrate my grandfather's 80th birthday. Fortunately, I was able to avoid the rain for the entire weekend, which is quite remarkable given the general level of saturation of the state. Seattle itself is quite intriguing; it reminds me of a cleaner version of San Francisco, on account of all the rain and that it's too cold for most of the homeless to be outside. Unfortunately, as I was in the area most of the time for family obligations, I wasn't in Seattle for a long period of time. Nevertheless, I still had the opportunity to see some fish throwing, admire some well-preserved mummies at an oddities shop, and look for some Shadowrun style cyberware. Lamentably, the closest thing to cyberware anyone had was silverware, and although silverware is a useful tool, it's not really something I would want in direct contact with my neural synapses. Much like one of the cheat commandos, I'm thankful I don't have a fork in my eye.
The family events were pleasant as well, relaxing for the most part; however, at times perhaps slightly too relaxing given the extremely rural location of the event. It was awesome to see deer, chipmunks, squirrels, and hummingbirds everywhere, but at night, when the wildlife is no longer visible, one can't really appreciate those things any longer. Although neither my grandparents nor my aunt and uncle had wireless internet or a place where cell phone reception was possible, at least they did have a Wii. Overall, of course, the weekend, even with the traveling, was a worthwhile experience, so I approve.
Most of the previous week was devoted to the Telemark showcase for performing Sarah's piece. It was nice not being part of the Troupe in the sense that I didn't have nearly as many time obligations as did the rest. Although that made it slightly alienating at times, I'd much rather have the extra time to devote to work and other necessary chores/errands than confinement in the theater with other troupe people.
Our performance was awesome, and I'm quite pleased with each night. Unfortunately, as stage lighting is often inadequate for filming, it will still be interesting to see if the recorded performance was actually as phenomenal as I think it will be. We received compliments from virtually everyone on the piece for its charisma and precision, so if nothing more, it was a stand-out, both in terms of theme and execution, in the showcase. Sarah should definitely be commended for her intriguing choreography and narratives, and I'm definitely pleased I could be a part of it. It was somewhat strange to only be in one piece, especially since I often feel like I should maximize my performance time to get as much out of that week's commitment as I can. Perhaps I'll bring back Heavy Petting next year after all, or perhaps I'll try to do something new. Either way, it sounds like more dances are on the horizon for next year, even if they may not manifest into anything tangible.
Much like last time, work has been pleasant, although remarkable non-noteworthy given that most of the work has entailed analysis of rather standard transcripts rather than outrageous interviews involving unexpected niche markets. I was finally given the option to renew my contract for another year, which I believe I will do, as it seems far more appealing than looking for a new job elsewhere. Besides, as my major complaint is the lack of charisma exhibited by most of my coworkers, I'm probably doing fine.
I don't have any plans for the extended Memorial Day weekend, so I assume it will mostly entail relaxation and/or accomplishing woefully neglected errands. Perhaps I will see if I can finally take my MSF class this weekend, as enrollment might be low given that a fair number of people will be on vacation. I'm looking forward to finishing the class, hopefully passing, and then perhaps finally having a method of motorized transportation again. Fortunately, it looks like there are classes most weekends, and with my weekend schedule being more open in general, it should happen soon.
Well, I should be departing so that I can actually be productive at work rather than just give the illusion of productivity. However, before I do, I must leave you with this Indian music video, which showcases the origins of the male Draenei dance. Interestingly, it's way better when a smexy male Draenei does it rather than this guy.
I was in the Seattle area the weekend before last to celebrate my grandfather's 80th birthday. Fortunately, I was able to avoid the rain for the entire weekend, which is quite remarkable given the general level of saturation of the state. Seattle itself is quite intriguing; it reminds me of a cleaner version of San Francisco, on account of all the rain and that it's too cold for most of the homeless to be outside. Unfortunately, as I was in the area most of the time for family obligations, I wasn't in Seattle for a long period of time. Nevertheless, I still had the opportunity to see some fish throwing, admire some well-preserved mummies at an oddities shop, and look for some Shadowrun style cyberware. Lamentably, the closest thing to cyberware anyone had was silverware, and although silverware is a useful tool, it's not really something I would want in direct contact with my neural synapses. Much like one of the cheat commandos, I'm thankful I don't have a fork in my eye.
The family events were pleasant as well, relaxing for the most part; however, at times perhaps slightly too relaxing given the extremely rural location of the event. It was awesome to see deer, chipmunks, squirrels, and hummingbirds everywhere, but at night, when the wildlife is no longer visible, one can't really appreciate those things any longer. Although neither my grandparents nor my aunt and uncle had wireless internet or a place where cell phone reception was possible, at least they did have a Wii. Overall, of course, the weekend, even with the traveling, was a worthwhile experience, so I approve.
Most of the previous week was devoted to the Telemark showcase for performing Sarah's piece. It was nice not being part of the Troupe in the sense that I didn't have nearly as many time obligations as did the rest. Although that made it slightly alienating at times, I'd much rather have the extra time to devote to work and other necessary chores/errands than confinement in the theater with other troupe people.
Our performance was awesome, and I'm quite pleased with each night. Unfortunately, as stage lighting is often inadequate for filming, it will still be interesting to see if the recorded performance was actually as phenomenal as I think it will be. We received compliments from virtually everyone on the piece for its charisma and precision, so if nothing more, it was a stand-out, both in terms of theme and execution, in the showcase. Sarah should definitely be commended for her intriguing choreography and narratives, and I'm definitely pleased I could be a part of it. It was somewhat strange to only be in one piece, especially since I often feel like I should maximize my performance time to get as much out of that week's commitment as I can. Perhaps I'll bring back Heavy Petting next year after all, or perhaps I'll try to do something new. Either way, it sounds like more dances are on the horizon for next year, even if they may not manifest into anything tangible.
Much like last time, work has been pleasant, although remarkable non-noteworthy given that most of the work has entailed analysis of rather standard transcripts rather than outrageous interviews involving unexpected niche markets. I was finally given the option to renew my contract for another year, which I believe I will do, as it seems far more appealing than looking for a new job elsewhere. Besides, as my major complaint is the lack of charisma exhibited by most of my coworkers, I'm probably doing fine.
I don't have any plans for the extended Memorial Day weekend, so I assume it will mostly entail relaxation and/or accomplishing woefully neglected errands. Perhaps I will see if I can finally take my MSF class this weekend, as enrollment might be low given that a fair number of people will be on vacation. I'm looking forward to finishing the class, hopefully passing, and then perhaps finally having a method of motorized transportation again. Fortunately, it looks like there are classes most weekends, and with my weekend schedule being more open in general, it should happen soon.
Well, I should be departing so that I can actually be productive at work rather than just give the illusion of productivity. However, before I do, I must leave you with this Indian music video, which showcases the origins of the male Draenei dance. Interestingly, it's way better when a smexy male Draenei does it rather than this guy.