Just checking in to see what's still going on in the LJ world. It would appear that lots of folks have just disappeared from here. I'm not sure if keeping an online journal is still something I want to do. I have always loved paper with it's creamy expanse of opportunity to write or draw whatever I felt like. Somehow, on a screen it doesn't seem to be the same thing.

So...I've been learning to play my ukulele.  Not just a little, but obsessively for the past week or so.  It's been a slow drip since I got her and then it's like someone turned the faucet on this week. I love  Kaikua'ana. The fingertips on my frethand? They wish I was dead. lol! I actually count myself lucky that I HAVE to go to work and thus stop playing.

My friend Sam has a mandolin. She is learning too. We are having mandolin ukulele jamming sessions in the evenings. It's awesome. We have most of the bits of about 5 songs. In truth, we can play The Mariner's Revenge by The Decemberists almost the entire way through including mandolin solo. We struggle at the end where it gets so fast, BUT we have it. We also have half of The Gymnast and we have most of the chords to Bon Iver's Blood Bank but no real strumming pattern yet. We also have this massively awesome jam that we created from bits of other songs we know how to play. They aren't the actual original songs, just bits. We like to call it the Jimmy Eats Weezer mix.  And we're working on some possible Yeah Yeah Yeah's covers and some Mates of State. (most of the help comes in the form of tabs freely available on the interwebs).

I had forgotten that you actually CAN teach yourself to play an instrument. And I had some serious help from Aldrine Guerrero of www.ukuleleunderground.com . He is awesome, and really, REALLY shows you how to play songs. Granted, I have to do my own chord work (I play baritone and he plays concert/tenor). But otherwise it's great! And very helpful.

The last time I learned to play an instrument I was in grade school, granted I didn't start to be really good at it until high school but I loved the saxophone! And now I adore learning to play the bari uke. Even if my left hand is thinking of mutiny.

Umkay, I understand how they say that as you get older time seems to pass quicker. This summer seems to have done just that. While some moments stretched out into glorious hours, some weekends felt like weeks, ultimately August is already here-ish. There is talk of children going back to school and specials on school items at box stores everywhere.

Part of me gets so excited about this time. I love school supplies. Always have. I have a very hard time resisting the urge to go buy them even though I am no longer a student. Oh, wait. I am a student again, maybe. Hopefully. My interview with the school is on August 7th. I am excited, a little nervous, and it doesn't seem real. I am hoping that once I go do the interview it will seem more real.

In the meantime, I am headed down to Camp Gaea this weekend for the ZenFest flow arts festival. I am very, very excited! A melding of worlds and hanging out with great people, I am hoping to have a good time (Plus? Fire poi, yay for fire!). It would be great if the weather would cooperate, but it's Kansas in July/August, I won't hold my breath.

Now, if my elderberries would just ripen...lol! I really should water them more, that would help. It's my goal for the next month or so, to make sure to get them some water nearly every day. Silly berries, don't they know I need pie?

Gogol Bordello rocked my socks off. If I'd had any on, they would have been gone. Just like that. These guys (and some fabulous girls too) were Ah-mazing. Are they crazy? Yes! Totally yes! But are they good? Oh gods yes! Completely worth it.

Eugene is one slavic hunk, might I say? For a really skinny white dude. lol! Watching him up there shirtless made me think of Iggy Pop, just a little. That man can rock, and knows, knows how much the audience loves him. He seems to really thrive on it. (Then again, Duh, he's a musician).

The accordian has never seemed like a cooler or sexier instrument to me, ever in my life. Lawrence Welk style playing? Boring. Gogol Bordello style? We were literally begging him to play it harder (if that's even possible).

The Violin player was extreme. His playing was VERY good, his beret VERY awesome. He reminded me a little of Ringo Starr when he did Thomas the Train.

The bass player? Cool, totally cool. He even kissed our little Samantha post show. On the temple/cheek and she was ecstatic.

The congo player and sometimes singer dude was off the hook. Seriously? Who the hell puts a Luche Libre mask on during a show and just sings his head off? Yeah, this guy did.

Also included in the melee? Washboards they played with the microphones, a couple of chicks running around stage with random things like triangles, a huge bass drum, and a set of cymbals. They also played an empty bucket too...Wow.

These guys are the real deal. Real musicians with real soul who will shred themselves for an audience. There are so few of them left in the world...see them if you can, you won't be able to move the next day, but it will be worth every sore muscle.

So, one fateful day last year (Can't remember when, exactly), I spent some time on the Youtube hanging out and quickly found out the real snare of that damn site. Once you get started, that bar on the side of "related" videos can take you down the rabbit hole. It's amazing what you will click on out of sheer curiousity. No really. I dare you to try it.

It's really the only way I can describe how I ended up watching ukulele videos for like 2 hours straight. And I'm not talking about ridiculous Hawaiian songs on those mini guitar like things, but hard core covers of current stuff with ukuleles. So awesome I can't even think straight about it. Seriously. My absolute favorite youtube performer is a gal called Julia Nunes. Her personal website is www.junumusic.com/videos.php and you can navigate to her youtube stuff from there. Point being, she covers great stuff, has some decent originals, and basically makes me smile. (Okay, I admit to a teensy girl crush, whatever).

After watching her amazing videos where she not only covers songs but splices together harmonies and other "instruments" over each song (srsly? she beats on a kleenex box with wooden spoons, but it really works)...well...I'm impressed. More than that, watching her uke skillz alone, is amazing.  Plus she makes the funniest facial expressions...give it a try, it's good stuff.

Onto the news. So pretty much since then I have been drooling over getting a ukulele. Hadn't really decided on what kind I wanted or what I could afford or whatnot. But this week? This week I was on a mission. Found a baritone uke in town that I could afford and since baritones are tuned like the bottom four strings on a guitar, I thought my extremely rudimentary "guitar" skills could translate. So I bought it. And then? 

Found out that my mother-in-law's stepfather played ukelele (after I'd already bought mine) and she was storing it in her house and I can have it. No really, I can have a 60 year old soprano ukulele in addition to my baritone. Are you kidding me? Total squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! (and I never squee) So in true "naming" tradition, I thought that they need cool Hawaiian type names (or things I call them until they get proper names, and I need to get to know them first before we get to proper names). So, I decided that Hawaiian for little sister and big sister were good. And if you can trust the interwebs on this, little sister (if you are a female yourself, which I am, Ha!) is KaiKaina*, and big sister is Kaikua'ana*. Thus, my new ladies.

*If you know Hawaiian, and I am wrong, please help a sista out...You know da kine!

When: July 7th, 2009 (It's a Tuesday)
Where: Dancer's Oasis Studio 1511 N Cotner Blvd, Lincoln, NE 68505
Time: 8:00 p.m.

Please get the word out! She is sooo amazing, and her concerts are incredible. Come listen to her play, shop for shiny things, we'll be passing a hat so your donations would be appreciated. It helps keep her on the road!

I just got invited to a surprise party for my new beau's lovely wife. I want to go, really a lot. But I think there are just too many obstacles and I am very sad about that.

A) It's in Kansas City. We were there two weeks ago, we will be there again in another 3 weeks. Gas isn't out of line, but it's also not dirt cheap either.

B) I already have date night plans with the hubby for tonight and am pretty sure he wouldn't like me cancelling to go play with other friends, and I'm not sure he would want to come anyways.

C) I would need to leave rather early Sunday morning to make it back for a stitch and bitch at my house.

But then again, someone at my office  volunteered to keep the dog. Awesome! I'm sure I could wrangle someone to check on the cats at least once, although I doubt it's needed.

And number C isn't that big of a deal as long as I let my stitch and bit partner know about it. Am torn and can't speak to hubby for another half hour. And he is really the biggest reason it might not work.  He doesn't like last minute plan changes, not one bit, especially if it means less face time for him.

I am super, super excited that I am in the amazing craziness of May already. Unfortunately my weekend this weekend which was supposed to be all bland and full of cleaning turned into half cleaning, half mother's day running home to see my mom. Not that I don't love her, I just really wanted to clean. (sounds crazy, I know).

And then? And then? Sooj will be at my house, and I am sooo excited. I can't hardly contain myself. SQUEEEEEE! Okay, trying to get that out of my system up front. 

But the arrival of the Sooj heralds all the rest of the craziness because then there is the James Arthur Vineyards show, which is totally going to rock. Plus? Wine. Awesome. Then after that? Off to Heartland Pagan Festival for 5 crazy lovely days of letting go and being self without walls. I love it and can't wait. The least of which is to be running around naked if I so choose. (and I usually do, weather permitting).

Then after I come back? Starting a new job. I think. Probably. Pretty sure. And wow, that will be crazy as well.  The only thing I'm not excited about? The commute, which isn't long by most standards but it is in the sense that I can't ride my bike if I want to (Well, okay, I could, but that is a damn long ways). In fact, there is parking that is free, so I don't have to be creative and come up with a way to get there that doesn't involve my car. Which I lament because having to do that makes it easier to get in extra exercise, especially if parking costs you $60-$75 a month. And I also can't complain because the hours are 8 to 4:30 which gives me plenty of time to get down to bellydance class on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

But? Full time job? (Well, temp to hire, but still) A real job? With benefits and a nice hourly wage? Too hard to say no. So I didn't.

Right now in no particular order:

Slippery Nipple shots. They are lovely, and according to my former bartender husband easy as hell to make. They taste like liquid candy. Definitely not good for you.

Clip-in hair extensions in medium brown #4. They are awesome, and I look like a goddess in them. Yay!

Flat irons. Where have they been all my life and why the hell didn't I know about them until now? They are genius and make taming my "wavy" hair a freaking dream! So awesome.

Bollywood films that are teaching me the art of the coy side glance at young men. I got my first "Nice!" as I walked by in a bar the other night and I was giddy. I mean that, my first, audible "Nice!" Ever. Genius! (Plus it helped that I was dressed UP, lol!)

I am loving weight watchers. I know, I swore I was never gonna do it. BUT? It's working, and you can't argue with results. Well, you can, but why would you want to? Losing weight is great! And kinda fun, too. And I apparently have millimeters of self control. Not inches yet, but millimeters...yay!

I am also loving my month of May. It's looking great from here, I will come back to earth in June and be exhausted, but it will all be worth it. Yay!

OKay, so I just realized what I'm walking into. And I did it to myself, but really? Wow. So the schedule is pretty much nuts from here to June. I have something planned nearly every...no, make that every weekend. This coming weekend? Drum Circle with Alex at the studio. Awesome! April 25th? Nebraska Bellydance Spectacular in Omaha. May 2nd? Bellydance show at the Farmer's Market. May 9th? Sam's birthday hoopla. May 15? Sooj at my house...SO extremely awesome! May 16? Dancing at James Arthur Ren Fest. May 20? Leaving for Heartland Pagan Festival.

Again I say, holy crap on a cracker! Okay...breathe. And how on earth did I think I was going to get my salwar kameeze made before JAV? I started much too late for that. Granted, it's cut out, but the pattern isn't what I would call easy and I am pretty sure I'm going to be out of time. Not to mention that it is not healthy of me to make that much pressure on myself. I might crack.