Tired but pleased
I think my last breath of free time for the year zoomed by a week ago -- it's been mostly go-go-go since then, and shows no signs of stopping. But hey, alot of that is going to be fun stuff, so as long as I can get my Christmas shopping done in time, I should survive. And I probably should not complain much here on LJ about being busy -- some of you out there really have a monopoly on full calendars.
Thanksgiving was down in North Carolina this year, at my aunt's house. 13-14 hours in a car each way, thank goodness we got lucky traffic-wise. I hope to never be in a backup like the one on the NJTurnpike in the opposite direction last Saturday, behind a truck fire :P Anyway, my aunt is an amazing hostess and we feasted for three whole days (no leftovers, even). Every evening we played a game after dinner until bedtime -- we taught my family Fluxx, even Grandma. We went to the aquarium and saw an albino alligator (which, I hate to admit, looked exactly like it was molded out of off-white plastic, except for when it blinked). We took long walks, and read books, and Grandma patiently re-taught me to crochet. I started putting wedding photos in albums. We talked about the 50 Best Inventions article in Time magazine alot, and watched very little football. It was really a lovely time.
I ran my fourth medieval dance practice this evening, and I'm exhausted but pleased with how well it is going. We seem to always have too many guys -- you know you want to come help with that problem! I've regularly been getting at least 10-12 people, which is great, and most of them are repeat customers, which means I can build a little on previous sessions. I was worried at first, because I knew that in Ithaca I had inherited a crew of dancers and their style of practices from the last teacher -- here I was starting as a new teacher, with a new group and very little tradition. But the style seems to be working out well for these folks too, and they're very good at being patient with me as I scrub the rust off my skills. I like to think of the style as "hammering on each dance until it yields a little bit." I really can't wait until the Black Rose Ball this year. I thought the dancing at the Black & White Masquerade went *much* better than in previous years, thanks to both having practiced my teaching and having assistance from another dance teacher. And I've had more opportunities to teach dance in the Realms, and every little bit helps. I've also been devouring all the dance resources that for some reason I never stumbled on when I was in Ithaca. So much to learn! I should probably not read quite so much of it at work, though...
So, December is another 3 Realms events, an SCA project, meetings, hosting Christmas at my house (with attendant cleaning & decorating), gift shopping, and parties. Wishing you all luck with your own end-of-year craziness, whatever it may be, and I hope it is balanced with the appropriate amount of cookies.
Thanksgiving was down in North Carolina this year, at my aunt's house. 13-14 hours in a car each way, thank goodness we got lucky traffic-wise. I hope to never be in a backup like the one on the NJTurnpike in the opposite direction last Saturday, behind a truck fire :P Anyway, my aunt is an amazing hostess and we feasted for three whole days (no leftovers, even). Every evening we played a game after dinner until bedtime -- we taught my family Fluxx, even Grandma. We went to the aquarium and saw an albino alligator (which, I hate to admit, looked exactly like it was molded out of off-white plastic, except for when it blinked). We took long walks, and read books, and Grandma patiently re-taught me to crochet. I started putting wedding photos in albums. We talked about the 50 Best Inventions article in Time magazine alot, and watched very little football. It was really a lovely time.
I ran my fourth medieval dance practice this evening, and I'm exhausted but pleased with how well it is going. We seem to always have too many guys -- you know you want to come help with that problem! I've regularly been getting at least 10-12 people, which is great, and most of them are repeat customers, which means I can build a little on previous sessions. I was worried at first, because I knew that in Ithaca I had inherited a crew of dancers and their style of practices from the last teacher -- here I was starting as a new teacher, with a new group and very little tradition. But the style seems to be working out well for these folks too, and they're very good at being patient with me as I scrub the rust off my skills. I like to think of the style as "hammering on each dance until it yields a little bit." I really can't wait until the Black Rose Ball this year. I thought the dancing at the Black & White Masquerade went *much* better than in previous years, thanks to both having practiced my teaching and having assistance from another dance teacher. And I've had more opportunities to teach dance in the Realms, and every little bit helps. I've also been devouring all the dance resources that for some reason I never stumbled on when I was in Ithaca. So much to learn! I should probably not read quite so much of it at work, though...
So, December is another 3 Realms events, an SCA project, meetings, hosting Christmas at my house (with attendant cleaning & decorating), gift shopping, and parties. Wishing you all luck with your own end-of-year craziness, whatever it may be, and I hope it is balanced with the appropriate amount of cookies.