A Fork in the Road

The new quarter is quickly approaching and I really need to get all my ducks in a row. I am gradually loading up my plate and I am wonder if I am taking on too much. I have a light course load in the fall which will allow me to teach a new class (DRA 141: Fundamentals of Movement) and work on both my thesis and my Dada Cabaret. And speaking of which, I have decided to have a dedicated Dada blog to allow everyone to keep up and chronicle this exciting project. Feel free to check it out and once we have our first meeting at the end of September there will be additional bloggers sharing their experiences and views of the journey.

So, now how can I keep moving on my passion for Arts Education and finding a job.

Oooh, one step at a time.

Deep breath.

Group Dynamics

Over the past few days I have been in quite a few gatherings of people. It's pretty amazing how differently groups interact and how I as an individual react in a group.

On Friday I went with Christine to this social group in Sac. It was called the Red Balloon Club and Christine saw it on - you guessed it - craigslist. Okay, maybe you shouldn't have guessed it, but if you knew her, you may know about her obsession of reading the craigslist personals. Anyway, within the personals was an ad for this group. Apparently, there was quite a criteria list to join - including being physically active and liberal, but it's not necessarily a singles thing, but it allows like minded people to get together and have some conversation.

This is something that I would NEVER do by myself. And I mean never. In fact when we arrived at the Cafe Bernardo at Capitol and 28th, I saw the red balloons in the patio and looked at Christine as if to say, "um, we are not really going to join those people, right?" But alas, she is much more adventurous than I and she just approached the 5 people at the table and said, "hey, I'm Christine." I don't think the organizer guy, Dar was happy that she brought a friend, because apparently that ruins the group dynamic. But for the most part we did converse as a group. At the start I had a dialogue with the weird chick next to me about musical theatre and Christine spoke to Dar about how he puts these gatherings together. There seemed to be an interesting conversation about Italy going on across the table, but I didn't want to rude and end my conversation quite yet. Since Christine and I were new our conversation became who we were and where we were from. Dar was not happy with that, so he jumped in and steered us to talk about religion and philosophy. In fact, I noticed that he was unhappy and anxious most of the evening. Around 10, Christine and I finally headed back to her place. One of the cooler girls whispered if we would return as we were saying our goodbyes. It's certainly out of the ordinary, but I certainly would have done it.

The night before, on Thursday, I got together with a Six Degree group of friends at a beautiful bar/restaurant in Sac. I worked with Rachel last year at the State Fair and she invited Gina, a teacher she works with in Davis. I just happened to meet Gina at Christine's house. Then Rachel invited her friends Graham and Mario. And since Tim knows these guys, too he joined us this time around. And Christine called me as I was in the causeway, so I invited her too. The alcohol was flowing that night and I spent more money than usual out. Since I subbed for Kerry Mehling's classes and she paid me what she makes rather than what I make, I got a big fat check for $600 that afternoon. So, buying the first round was not a big deal. We got loud and crazy and I saw Christine sitting there unamused. It just made me think about how groups operate. It may have been just the booze talking, but I certainly felt more comfortable around people I know and this group in particular I can let my hair down and be completely silly.

This also makes me think about my 2 hip hop classes and how different they are. The first is much more reserved in their movements, but more outspoken with there opinions and suggestions. The second is just the opposite. In fact, I have a few really great dancers in that second class and they push the others to be better. It certainly makes my job a lot easier.

And now that I switched from being an Introvert to being Extrovert in one of the Meyers-Briggs type tests on Facebook, I have to get out of my little apartment and out into the group.

A Little Rockstar

So last night I partied like a rock star in Sacramento. I met Rachel, Graham, Tim, Mario, Gina and Christine at Mason's and we had overpriced cocktails and food and horrendous service. We then moved to the bar at The Residence in across the street since they were having drink specials. We then got hungry and headed to Chicago Fire, but alas they were closed, so we went to Level Up the little bar upstairs of Thai Basil. After drinking a Lemon Drop martini, 2 Shock Tops, a Cosmo and a Kamikaze, I sang happy birthday with this group of gay guys at the next table and then I asked our server to get us pieces of cake from that same table. I do remember dancing on a chair and having this drunk guy say he would kiss my ass right before he was apprehended my the police. The final straw was ordering a Long Island Iced Tea for the table that we passed around as we finished our pieces of delicious ice cream cake. I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard and so long.

I would like to say that I celebrated the end of a difficult week and the fact that I got over my insecurities in teaching, Yesterday in my hip hop classes, I gave the midterm and started my students on their poetry assignments. Everyone was done with the exam in 30 minutes, but my first class when asked said the test was easy (Nancy said "Scarily easy"), but my second class came back a chorus of "hard"s. Brandon, who was the last to finish said something about it being unreasonably hard. I was floored.

I did love that in both classes there was conversation flowing about the who, what and where of hip hop before I gave the exam. It was like a series of scholars. I am sure it was just the cramming talking, but hopefully they will remember some of this stuff later on.

So, I open it to you. Here's the exam minus the matching dance terminology section. Have fun!

(4 Points each)

1. Which of the following is NOT a basic hip hop technique? ______
A. sharp isolations
B. getting low in the body
C. strong movement
D. tight rib cage

2. Which of the following is NOT true of “popping?” _______
A. It is a sharp, quick, staccato movement.
B. It is usually an isolation.
C. It is a slow and mellow movement.
D. Muscles tense to abruptly stop the movement.


3. Locking is by nature an improvisational dance, but also consists of a set of signature moves. (T/F) ______

4. Hip Hop dance should never show off your personal style. (T/F) ______

5. What is the difference between and a demi and grand plié?


History and Origins (4 pts. each) 60 POINTS TOTAL:

1. Hip-hop culture grew out of gang-dominated street culture. (T/F) ________

2. The Emcee/M.C. can be traced back to the African griots. (T/F) ________

3. Afrika Bambaata founded the Fabulous Five. (T/F) ________

4. Don Campbell created Def Jam Records. (T/F) ________

5. Isaac Hayes is the most “sampled” artist in hip hop music. (T/F) ________

6. Who created needle dropping? _______
A. Grand Wizard Theodore
B. Sha-Rock
C. Reggie Reg
D. DJ Baron


7. Which of the following is NOT a hip-hop forefather? ______
A. Jim Jazzy
B. DJ Kool Herc
C. Afrika Bambaata
D. Grandmaster Flash

8. The Hip Hop Theatre Festival was created by? ______
A. Queen Latifah
B. Russell Simmons
C. Danny Hoch
D. Lauryn Hill


9. DJ Kool Herc was responsible for all of these things EXCEPT _____
A. the “Merry Go Round”
B. coining the term “b-boy”
C. founding the Rock Steady Crew
D. introducing “the break” in the music


10. James Brown influenced hip hop with all EXCEPT: ______
A. his funky dance style
B. his percussive lyrics
C. his graffiti artistry
D. his rhythmic music

11. Which DJ created scratching? _______
A. Pistol
B. Grandmaster Flash
C. Fabel
D. Whipper Whip


(8 points each)

12. What are four similarities between capoeira and hip hop?


13. What are the four components of Hip Hop culture?

The Fear of Grades

So, I do chalk up this week to mediocre choreography and uninspiring music. I played the song from Qs class to this weeks combo and my first class just stood there and stared at me. Then Brandy said "do you have Get It, Shawty?" "Um, the Lloyd song? Sure." I put it on and commented that it would be too fast. But I was wrong. It worked well and they had more energy. This combo is a little tricky and has one spot that is just a little awkward. I tried to fix it and some of the stronger dancers have made it work, but most have not. In fact, I sometimes stumble there. But I decided to leave it alone and have them work through it.

In my second class, I was ready to put on Outkast's Rosa Parks since we used it yesterday, but first asked the class if it worked for them. There was an immediate shaking of heads "no." So, I threw on Get It Shawty and they liked it, too. I told them we have Brandy and Chanice in my first class to thank, however they still danced without any enthusiasm. So, I did the Christine Chen trick to having them pair up and dance for each other in 2 groups and give feedback, but I think that trick has lost it's value. It does get the class talking to each other, but the dancing was just blah. So FINALLY I gave them a little pep talk and said they MUST dance with some energy and if they want me to wave grades in front of their faces, I will FAIL anyone that doesn't look like their having fun. I put the music on and they started to GROOVE! I even said, I don't care if you are having a good time or not, but you'd better look like it. Andrew yelled "We ARE having a good time." So I yelled back, "then show me!!"

And they did.

The dance works, they were just being lazy. So, the pushing starts now.

And this petite white girl is TOTALLY ready! Tow, Tow, Bitches.

Wha, what?!

You are going to be surprised to hear this, but I did indeed get my butt off the couch last night, got dressed and went to watch Qs Intermediate Hp Hop class. Heck, I was even surprised. But I kicked myself the last time I had an opportunity to check in with him and I am at my stuck week. If you remember I went through the same woes at this time last session. I just have to get through it.

Watching his class last night, I realized that I am totally on track. He has class once a week and there were only 6 students in the class. Soooooo much more reasonable than my 2 classes FOUR days a week for 1:40 instead of an hour. His style is very clean and he really kept pushing them over and over again to the same piece of music. The choreography was created for Timbaland's Boardmeeting, and that's what got me thinking about using a specific piece of music more. I realized that I haven't done this with hip hop even though I always do it with theatre. Strange, huh?

After Qs class, I said hello to Baote who was in my first class last session and spoke with Q for about 20 minutes. He is trying to schedule a workshop this weekend and I offered to help him find space at UCD. It seems possible once I spoke to Robert in the department office this morning - and even more so since I am not heading up to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival so I could be there to open the doors. But when I got home from Wyatt's this evening there was no message on my phone. Oh well. It would have been nice to just dance and watch the four instructors teaching skills.

Rehearsal with Wyatt was good this evening. We worked out new material, but it was just the two of us. He wimped out and did not talk to Stephanie. So, about 5 minutes into our practice, she walks through the door - right after I asked what the scoop was. So, he put his guitar down and went inside from the backyard and apparently she was busy. She went into her room pretty quickly and stayed there. I felt hugely uncomfortable, but we worked out 3 more songs, I had 2 Buds and tried the Cinnabread Pizza from Woodstock's. Apparently we have a drummer and are on the search for a bassist.

After my lovely bike ride home, I FINALLY graded the history presentations for both classes and posted them online. I was very lenient and gave everyone in the 90-100 range. And of course, that leaves me back on the couch watching gymnastics.

What a day!

Need a Little Umpf!

I should probably have put two or three exclamation points at the end of the title. There's no other way to say it, but I need a little inspiration. I showed RIZE, the David LaChappelle film in both my classes today and talked about passion in the second class. It may be that my playlist in class is lackluster or perhaps the choreography is a little boring. But when I split the class in half and have both groups dance for the other, I ask the group watching to give the dancing half "a little love." The claps and woo-hoos are something to be desired.

The problem is I am not sure when I will have time to either find more music or pep up the choreography. Tomorrow and Wednesday are hell days. I sub Kerry's jazz class at 10, have my first hip hop at 12, sub Kerry's Intro to Contemporary Dance at 2 and then finish up with my second hip hop at 4. Kooky, huh? Luckily, I am showing videos in both of Kerry's classes for the entire class and this just happens to be video week for me, too. I usually dance for half and show the video for the other half. So, it's not so bad. Except I heard from Wyatt today and we are most likely rehearsing tomorrow and Wednesday, as well.

Today, I just subbed for Kerry's 2:10PM class and we watched documentaries on Isadora Duncan and Denishawn (Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn). I am sad to say that I was as intrigued to watch as I hope the students were. I truly lack a good background of dance history. As I cued up the second video, I surprised myself, however in leading a brief discussion on the differences between ballet and early modern. I really thought to myself "listen to how smart and well-spoken I am," as I saw some of the students nodding their heads to some of my responses. I then tried to get them out of the seats at the UClub and on to the floor to at least stretch out while we watched the second film. They just looked at me with blank looks. So I said "or not" and hit play on the VHS player.

I will try again tomorrow and will brainstorm about how to get the excitement back. Hmmm. It's 8:49...Q's class just started. Maybe I'll get off the couch and get dressed and ask him for some advice at the end of his class.

Or not.

Arm Chair Olympian

I have spent much time in the last week lying on the couch watching the Olympics. The games are exciting and it gives me something worthwhile to do in the evenings. Needless to say, I have not been cleaning. I have not been able to keep dishes in the sink because if I do I have ants.

And I'm not talking about a few. I'm talking swarm. Once I do the dishes they all but disappear. I will run by the Ace tomorrow and get some Tero gel, but it's forcing me at least clean the kitchen. In fact, due to my diminished underwear supply I also did laundry today. Wyatt, Barbara, Stephanie and her sister hosted a party today and their place is right down the street from The Wash Mill. It's a little more expensive than the place with that creepy Jon guy, but it allowed me to grab food and drink between wash and dry cycles.

Towards the end of my time at the party, we finally brought up the band. Wyatt's friend, Michael (?) said that his band was playing at Sophia's in October. And Wyatt said nothing. I thought it may be because he wanted to be respectful of Stephanie's feelings, however 10 minutes later, Wyatt said the we were working on a band together and mentioned Stephanie, as well. She was inside, but I kept quiet. When she came out Michael asked what each of us did in the band and she said she plays violin in another band and just sings in this one. Hmmm. I wonder if Wyatt will talk to her. He's just getting over strep throat, so he may speak to her or he may not.

And lastly, yesterday I voyaged solo into the city. I took Amtrak to Richmond again and transferred to BART and got off at Powell, just as I did with Tony a few weeks ago. This time I met up with Tony's family for dim sum at Hang Ah on Sacramento and had a lovely time. His mom and sister, plus his sisters skinny boyfriend were in from LA. I left them around 1:45PM and walked to Fort Mason to meet up with Suehyla and walk the Golden Gate Bridge. As I told her on our bus ride back to Fisherman's Wharf, I was going to be totally nonchalant about seeing her, but I did get all giddy. It was so nice to hang out with her. At first we could not find the entrance to the bridge, but after a long walk past Crissy Fields, we wound our way up the hill and onto the bridge. It was super cold and misty, so I added a sweater layer at the half-way point before we walked back on the bridge.

After a super rich cupcake in Ghiradelli Square, we hiked up Polk and crossed over to Larkin to meet Alexis at Olive for happy hour. I started to get a little worried about my journey home since I really didn't research so much, mostly because I didn't know where I'd wind up. But we left the bar after a couple of drinks, some calamari and artichoke pizza. Suehyla, Alexis and her friend Michael walked me to the Civic Center BART and in my tipsiness I got on the train going the WRONG way. I tried not to get nervous, but waited the 7 minutes for the correct train at the next stop. I made the transfer at MacArthur and there was a Richmond train ready and waiting. We pulled into Richmond at 8:30, in plenty of time to make the 8:42 Amtrak back to Davis. In fact, the train was late, so I grooved again on the platform to the random music I have on my ipod and waited with those around me.

Another great summer day.

And then there were 9

I decided to get up early this morning and haul my dancing ass to Kerry's 10AM Jazz class. I cannot tell you how glad I am that I am not teaching it. She is such an accomplished dancer that I don't think I would give it justice. It just makes me want to dance more and I think I can finally let go of the title of "dancer." I'm not. I just move very well.

Needless to say I was ready to drop when I got home just after 6 from my second hip hop class. And speaking of dropping...I lost THREE students today. I have 27 in each class now and totally wimped and allowed one student to add today and one of my favorite students in my first class to audit. I tripped twice in that second class and I am back in my ankle brace. Hopefully it will heal soon.

So, as I arrived home, I did a little gaming on Facebook, made myself a gin & tonic and a salmon salad and found my place on the couch. Wyatt was not feeling well today so we postponed rehearsal until Thursday.

I'm doing a little work and watching swimming and mourning the loss of my long nail. I am headed to the bathroom to cut them all down. As you can see in the photo I have traded my boobs for some extra chins. Ah, gravity.

The Healing Power of Hip Hop

I woke up this morning with the usual desire to stay in bed for a while. I am not sure the last time I jumped out of bed ready for the day. Maybe it's because my day starts so much later during the summer than during the school year. I had some breakfast and just didn't feel right. Actually I felt bad. My body flipped between cold and hot and I started to get a little dizzy. I thought about canceling my classes today, but since I planned to show a video for part of class, I thought it would be okay to just try and teach. If there was a problem, I would give them the rest of the time to work with their partners on their history presentations.

I got to the UClub at 11AM since I really didn't know exactly what I would be doing in class today. I wanted to change up the combo from last session. I will probably continue to change it a little more since it's still a little too drill team-y for my taste. Apparently I don't have the key to the storage closet, so I was not able to show a bit of Hip Hop: Behind the Rhythm and Rhymes in class today. Instead I was able to evaluate them 3 at a time on last weeks combination so I have a better idea of their improvement as we get further along in the session.

I have an hour and a half before my next class and even thought I'm relaxing on the couch, I do indeed feel better. I am trying to drink more water, but my nalgene is ALL THE WAY on the dining table and I really don't want to walk the 4 feet to get it.

I got an email from Wyatt this morning trying to schedule a rehearsal. He woke up in the middle of the night and got a little nervous about our show on the 18th of September. I wanted to make sure that Stephanie would be in attendance since it does not make a huge amount of sense for me to rehearse without her. I got this message in response.

I am having some second thoughts about Stephanie, we sound great together, and her voice makes me want to smash my face through a two pane window. Should be fun living with her after that though
Wyatt

I have to say that I'm a bit relieved. I was not a fan of her musicality or lack thereof. Oh, on that note, I warmed up my class today with a little Isaac Hayes. A little memorial. Now that's one man with a little musicality and a LOT of soul.

Laying Low

It's hot in Davis, CA. The online temp says it's just 92, but my cats are wilting and I had to turn the air conditioner on. I got home from Christine's this morning, did a bit of cleaning and ate some lunch. From there I pretty much moved to the couch to watch the Olympics, download songs and prepared a new playlist and the big last one NAP! I am not sure if my sore throat was caused from singing in the car incorrectly the other night or from sitting in a cold stadium watching an uneventful baseball game. Or perhaps my body is reacting to my new piercing.

Hmmmm. I don't know. Yesterday I had a good massage with Dean Woo, so there's a chance that there are some toxins trying to get out of my body.

I wish I could blame our weak performance at Crepeville in Sacramento on my sore throat, but I really chalk it up to unpreparedness. Wyatt introduced us at Meet The Tender Misers, since Miss Lonelyhearts was taken by other local bands. I wonder what our name will be for our gig at Sophia's on 9/18. If Wyatt tries to bring back Gummy Mouth, I will have to nix that one again.

Throwing Caution to the Wind

Last night I went to my first game at AT&T Park to watch the Giants v Dodgers game last night. As many of you know I am not a huge sports fan, but I do love the game. I really could not care who wins, but just like the excitement of good playing and a pretty park. The AT&T stadium is right on the bay and was so lovely. Cold and windy, but lovely nonetheless. Tony, his buddy Sola and I got down to the park around 5PM and found parking on the street and then went to The 21st Amendment on 2nd and had glasses of Watermelon Ale to celebrate. We stopped back at the car to grab my leftover pizza from the Haight's Escape from New York and for me to put on another layer of clothing.

Every time I'm in San Francisco I really do think that I will run into someone I know. Needless to say that does not happen, but it doesn't stop me from looking around. I did the same as we ate our roasted garlic and red potato pizza, and a second slice of chicken, spinach and pesto. I don't know what I was thinking as I ordered TWO slices, since there was no way I could eat that much. It must have been the adrenaline after getting my nose pierced next door at Cold Steel.

I wimped the last time I went to the city with Tony, so this time we drove into the city and parked on Haight. I have not been to Haight Ashbury in many years - since my family made our West Coast trip driving from San Diego to San Francisco when I was in middle school. It was such a hippy paradise. KInda like Greenwich Village but one long stretch. We decided to eat first, but since I had to go to the bathroom and there was no restroom in the pizzeria, I decided that we check out Cold Steel first. Checking it became signing my life away and picking out a little stud. We waited for a room and my nerves let the stupid jokes go. Tony waited outside in the hallway and Mic, the piercer asked if he was coming in the room with us. I say no, but then looked around the corner and asked if he wanted to join. He did without much reluctance, but then said that he didn't do well with needles. The whole ordeal was over in less than 5 minutes. Mic cleaned the area on my left and placed a dot for me to approve. I asked him to move it slightly back and he yelled at me for touching the area with my super long pinky nail. Upon approval of the placement, he inserted a metal tube in my nose asked me to take a deep breath in and then the rest was magic. I am not sure if he inserted a needle or used the jewelry to pierce my nose. But it was quick and there was a little readjustment of the jewelry and then I was good to go. I whispered Tony if I had to tip him, but by the time I rummaged through my purse Mic was gone and welcoming a friend. So, we just left and went next door to get pizza. After we stuffed our faces we stopped at The Goodwill so Tony could get some pants. It was a little chilly in the city so I bought a sweater and then splurged and got 2 pairs of sunglasses and a pair of sneakers with retractable wheels. Of course, I am going to try and incorporate them into my thesis.

During the game last night, they occasionally showed footage of the Olympic Opening Ceremonies in Beijing on the big screen. Seeing some short clips and videos on youtube today and now watching some of the volleyball and cycling, I really wish I saw them last night. Apparently it was the best opening ceremonies ever. I drove Tony back to Oakland and Sola to the local BART station before I got lost on my way back to Davis. Once on 80 East I put on the CD that Wyatt made for me in preparation of our gig tonight.

We planned to get together last Thursday and then Wyatt wanted to put a rain check on it. He called back and the message was that the gig was on and we should indeed rehearse. By the time I got to his house, I found Stephanie on her way out to her other band practice and Wyatt and Barbara eating. I was leaning to not performing because we are totally not ready. There was no time for the whole group to get together and I have not mastered the harmonies yet. Wyatt was ready to throw caution to the wind and Stephanie was okay either way. Apparently she does not like performing. The reason she likes being in bands is because the like the practices. Um, WHAT???!! For me, I like to be prepared. So, when Wyatt was leaning towards just doing the gig anyway, I said okay. I never do anything like this and it's a chance to be crazy and spontaneous.

So, this evening I will be wearing dark clothing and singing some folky tunes on the corner in midtown Sacramento. No need to wish me luck. I will be riding high on nerves and adrenaline and perhaps a shot of tequila - all with a glint of rhinestone in my nose.

As I sit here on my couch typing away, I hear the clickity-clack of the longest nails I have had in many years on the keyboard. I tried to write on the chalkboard on the first day of class with this itty bitty piece and my nails got in the way. I feel super girly and even though they make typing a little difficult, I really don't want to get rid of them. In fact, I wonder when the first one will break. From my years of catering and working at Souper Jenny, my hands were always in water and I was super active with my hands. So, I have to say this change is exciting. And these nails are doing well WiTHOUT polish. I put on some Sally Hansen's Strong as Nails 2 weeks ago, but have misplaced the bottle (again!) so the strength and protection of my nails are just riding on luck.

The two new hip hop classes are going well. I certainly feel more prepared going into session two. I'm using the same combination with a few changes and I'm able to give better instruction based on the feedback received from my first session classes. I have quite a good number of movers in both classes and I'm excited to see them grow. I have fallen a little short on the music playlists, however. Last session, I feel like I spent hours getting ready from the music side. But yesterday I went into class and hadn't played at all. When I got to class I put out the sign-in sheet, opened my live webcam and quickly pulled some music from my hip hop playlist into the one for Week 1. Both classes have a desire to change music often so I go through it more than I thought I would. When I ask if we should continue to dance to Rihanna's Please Don't Stop the Music or try something new the answer almost always comes back to dance to a new song.

On Monday I got up early and went to Starbucks and did some journaling. I have not been so productive the rest of the week. In fact on Tuesday, I actually TOOK A NAP between classes. I was just that tired.

Tickets go on sale for Jason Mraz at 10 and I am contemplating heading out for tickets. You can only buy one for every ID and since I forgot to mention it to anyone else, I would just be by myself. Between classes today i will be having lunch with Victoria at Ciocolat. After class I may be heading over to Wyatt's for a little rehearsal. I'm a tad frustrated with the lack of communication here. If I don't hear from him, I will join Tony & Tim for a drink -- or perhaps a few. I mean I need to celebrate the end of the first week of Summer Session II, don't I?

Back in the Saddle

Today starts Summer Session 2 and I am excited about tackling another round of Hip Hop Classes. The activity on Facebook with my first class from Summer Session 1 is quite lovely to see. The students writing on each others walls, posting pictures and attending events. I know it was their demeanor going into the class, but I hope to recreate that ensemble quality with BOTH classes this time around.

I also had a bit of a wake up call with the realization of time. Now that the summer is half done, I really need to get working on my thesis and Dada. I have not written in my thesis comedy journal in quite a few days and I don't remember when I read or even thought about Dada last. For the latter project I feel I really need to get my personnel on board and that's not going to happen until the school year begins. However, I would like to get some more research done.

Since my teaching schedule now starts at 12 instead of 2, I'm trying to get myself up earlier and on a more regular schedule. I also have 2 hours BETWEEN classes now that I could read or write or go to the library. I will check about space availability in the office today so I will be able to start playing with things physically, as well.

In terms of Miss Lonely Hearts, that may start to ramp up as well, since we may have a gig THIS Saturday at Crepeville and we are on the books at Sopha's on September 18 -- the day I get back from my Atlanta trip. Just to update, Wyatt and I are in disagreement as to the origin of the band name. All of the research says that the book in question was by Nathanael West not Terry Southern. That being said I did a search of MySpace yesterday and found TWO other bands (one in CA, the other in Canada) with the same name. So, it looks like Wyatt will be looking for a new name.

We had a good rehearsal on Saturday and I'm very proud of myself for finding some great rhythms and harmonies. In the garage band recordings, I have to say that I don't sound half bad. However, the collaborative elements are not as strong as I'd hoped. I really do think it's due to the fact that Wyatt is just so young and doesn't know how best to lead the group. Besides being a back up singer, I feel that I am also an advisor and creative consultant. That may be my biggest asset to the group. Wyatt was supposed to meet with a lap steel player yesterday and is in talks with a percussionist. I'm curious to see where this all will go.

And lastly, I finally did some job searching yesterday. I looked for university positions, as well as education directors in the non-profit world. I'm going to have to keep this search up in earnest because jobs will be posted in a few months for the time I graduate.

This makes me want to hide under the covers, but I will in fact get out of bed and head to Starbucks to use one of my gift cards and get some journalling done.

Now, I just have to find my glasses...

As If We Didn't Already Know

You Are a Chocolate Flavored Popsicle

You are hedonistic. For you, summer is all about indulging your five senses. Some people may call you spoiled, but your simply the type of person who knows what they want. You have sophisticated tastes. You like sweet things as much as the next person, but you don't like cheap treats. You're much more drawn to the dramatic in all aspects of life - including dramatic desserts.

What Flavor Popsicle Are You?

Shed a Little Tear, again

So on this my year anniversary in Davis I cried twice. These past two years have been quite emotional and on an anniversary such as this you cannot help but reflect. As I typed the title of this blog I had a feeling that I used it before. Surprisingly enough it's only from the beginning of June.

At band practice last night, I got a text from Tony suggesting I come into SF today because he had the day off. I just didn't feel like spending the money on a train ticket and really wanted to lay low in Davis. So this morning, I got out of bed and after a few unsuccessful tries to get online, I took a shower and walked to campus. I sat outside of Dutton Hall and finally got a connection. A group of what seemed to be high school students perhaps at a UCD sponsored camp or maybe orientation walked by. They each had a name tag on and matching t-shirts and they asked me if I was a professor.

"No, I'm a grad student, sorry."

As they walked away with their maps I had the wherewithal to ask if they were on a scavenger hunt. And indeed they were. I then said that I am a grad student, but I am teaching 2 classes this summer. Sounded like a professor to them! They were elated, ran back to me, took my photo and asked for my name and department to add to their list. They then asked where some art galleries might be and I pointed them along.

When I got back home I called Tony and it sounded like he had a plan for his day. I was able to connect again to the internet from my apartment and decided to finish up my grading and submit final grades. Of my 60 students there were mostly As, two B+s and 2 C+s.

Ever since I created the Facebook event page for the Hip Hop showings I started to get requests from the students to add me as a friend. I do not feel comfortable doing that while they are current students, so as of this morning, I went ahead and added all 9 requests. They were all from my first class. This did not surprise me since my first class was so much more of an ensemble than my second. The second class had more people late or with absences. They also were not as quick to thank me after the showing yesterday nor did anyone ask me to be in photos with them. This afternoon, I did get two friend requests from my second class, but one was only because he wanted to message me and ask what happened to his lost ipod.

On Facebook I made today's status "Hope celebrates one year in Davis" to which I got this message on my wall from Lynn in my first class.

Gratz on ur one year in Davis! We welcome u with big Hugs! o(^.^)o Ur hip Hop class was the most exciting thing in my life.

Reading that just made me weep. It's an amazing feeling to make that much of an impact on someone's life. After the second showing, one of the girls from my first class came up to me and said that my class was the best she's ever taken at UCD. Chau is a shy little thing and always asked me questions over email or sent someone else to ask me on her behalf. But this time she used her own words and gave me a huge hug.

Powerful stuff.

To celebrate, I found the second Zia's gift certificate and my Regal Free Movie certificate and had a freebie afternoon. A yummy Roma sandwich and lemon Pellegrino as I watched Mamma Mia. In the darkness as I viewed the beautiful Grecian landscape on the big screen, I reflected on the past and a disastrous flight from Atlanta to Sacramento a year ago today -- and just cried.