Best Circus--and LIFE--Blog, EVER!

In doing a little circus research for the book tonight, I found the best blog EVER: http://www.laurawitwer.com/2011/08/25/suck-it-up-buttercup-circus-is-hard/
Here's a pasted sample:

Suck It Up, Buttercup! Circus Is Hard

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The number one question I’m asked by new students? “What can I do to get better? I feel like it’s taking so long!” It’s a fair question, I mean, who doesn’t want to excel at what they’re pouring their hearts and pocketbooks into? But, for many, what they’re really asking is, “Why haven’t I picked this up in ten classes?” Um… because it’s difficult, Buttercup! Ask yourself: would you waltz into a ballet class, having no dance training, and expect to be turning triple pirouettes three weeks from Sunday? Of course not. Then why would you assume that you can do that in an aerial class?

Wise Saying From Laura #1 – You have to be willing to suck at first. A lot.

Perhaps it’s our culture’s growing appetite for Instant Results , or maybe spill-over from the Club Med “make a catch your first day” mentality (not knocking Club Med, it’s just a different animal altogether). Whatever it is, let me be very candid: if you want to get really good at something, whether it’s aerials or accounting, you have to work your ass off for a good long time. That girl with the beautiful lines? She’s been dancing since she was 4. That guy with the bone-crushing grip? He’s been rock climbing for the past 5 years. They’ve all put in the time, just not in my class.

Wise Saying From Laura #2 – Just show up.

I have yet to meet a student who was a truly hopeless case – just about anyone in reasonable health can become proficient in an aerial discipline. I’ve watched some students throw themselves into classes, train on their own, and fight for every victory they got on the silks. That kind of hard work inevitably pays off. I have one student who couldn’t even hold on her first class, and cried in fear the first time she did an ankle hang; she’s now performing beautiful pieces in showcases and making me proud. She showed up. She put in the time (several years, to be exact). She’s reaping what she’s sown. You will too, Grasshopper.

Wise Saying from Laura #3: It’s an awesome adventure, babe. Quit focusing so much on the destination.

Here, in a nutshell, is how to get better, and enjoy the journey.

• quit taking yourself so damned seriously, it ain’t the Peace Corps. A light heart and the ability to laugh at yourself will make training more enjoyable (for both of us). Frustration is a roadblock, laughter is a detour.
• be a student. Check your ego at the door, and be willing to be really, really bad at something. Think of it this way – you can only get better!
• just show up – to class, to workouts, to your training time. I strongly recommend at least one class and one practice session on your own each week. Regular workouts can be tailored to support your air time – Pilates, deep stretching, weight training (PULL-UPS), and more can make your class time more productive.
• don’t compare yourself with others (thank you, Miss Stephanie!!!)
• CELEBRATE EVERY VICTORY!!! Don’t sweep it under the rug, you worked hard for it!

It’s not Insta-Aerial, ya’ll! It took me over a year of training almost every day to get to a reasonably professional level on fabrics. You can do it. Here’s what I can promise you: show up, do the work, and you’ll see results. Now, suck it up and get to class! There’s work to be done and fun to be had! And no whining. Love and pull-ups, Laura
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Check this blog out, it is FANTASTIC, and this is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg with the helpful, life-changing hints it holds. I still don't know if I'm going to use chalk or rosin for this aerial rope scene in my book, but I'm sure a closer look at Laura Witwer's blog will answer that question as well.

Chickens--my book is almost done!!! Pant with me, it is very exciting!!
Talk soon,
--P

Happy Thanksgiving, My Chickens!

Here are my new Warby Parkers--you like?? (Linwood in Violet Magnolia) My eye doctor swore my Rx hadn't changed much since last time, but these new lenses are exposing me to a whole new world--I've seen the light, and it's shown me how much dust there is to deal with. I'm coming off a very busy fall--grant application deadlines, and two Hugo House classes which are now complete and are already missed; I think a few friendships have been forged from those, though.

This Thanksgiving holiday week should have been the perfect time to relax and catch up on housework, but I've come down with a nasty cold so am forced to stay in bed and read...which is what I secretly wanted to do with my time off, anyway. I finished reading Molly Ringwald's When It Happens To You yesterday, it was delightful! It's a novel-in-stories, and while I found the first few stories a little summary-heavy, I suppose that's a function of the literary fiction genre. By the time I'd hit the book's mid-point, the superfluous summary had either lessened or just didn't bother me anymore, and I was free to enjoy Ringwald's masterful prose. This book is really, REALLY good, and a relatively quick read (especially if you're ravenous for good writing after a bunch of so-so stuff and trapped in bed, like me).

I also put a dent into Justin Cronin's The Twelve, which unexpectedly arrived via Kindle Library Loan. I'd planned to reread the last 50 pages of The Passage before tackling this next installment, but Cronin did a ridiculously good job of encapsulating the previous novel in a faux-Biblical Prologue to quickly bring the reader up to speed and set the stage for this new slice of the story. The Twelve indulges my preference for the first third of The Passage, which deals with a recognizable near-future as a vampire apocalypse descends. The Passage then does a flash-forward that J.J. Abrams would be proud of--leaps ahead in time a few hundred years to a society that, while somewhat interesting, is never quite as compelling as the present-tense dire straits we left behind.The Twelve picks up at this delicious point and moves on, unblinkingly, through horror after horror, and I cannot put it down. *Totally* recommended!

Okay, my chickens--I work next on Saturday, then Monday. Hope you all have wonderful Thanksgivings--I can't wait to hear about them! Holiday love to all,
--P

No More Thursdays!!!

Hello again,
Just wanted to let y'all know that my other part-time gig has finally come through, so I am no longer cutting hair on Thursdays!

My schedule at Raven:
Mon, Fri, Sat: 9AM-3PM

See you guys soon (just not on Thursdays),
--P

New Prices At Raven!!!

Hi, Chickens:
Fall has arrived, with its rain & chilly-ness; the city's mood is subdued, but there is still the electricity of new sweaters, boots & scarves to combat any ennui.
I have NEWS!!!---I thank you so much for your unflagging support of my move six months ago from Rudy's Barbershop to Raven's salon on Pine & Melrose! At that time I took a bit of a pay cut from my going rate at Rudy's ($25 for a style cut/ more for long hair) to match the prices at Raven ($21 and up) so I could fit in, and I was glad my loyal clients could enjoy a price break for their trouble. I have been deliriously happy at my new salon, and have been fortunate enough to meet a number of new clients who have graciously become repeat customers. I LOVE YOU ALL, and hope you will continue to see me at Raven after our price raise starting Dec.1st--style cuts will be $25, bobs/long hair cuts will be $37. We're trying to meet the cost of living/business, and feel our haircuts are worth every penny--we hope you agree! Thanks again for your patronage, and I hope you'll continue to come in--we'd love to see you!!!

"Celebrity Sperm Bank": Art Comes to Life, Pun Intended!

Chickens, you may remember a little story I wrote called "Celebrity Sperm Bank," which was published in The Ledge Magazine's Summer 2011 Issue No. 33. Well, check out this new development, here with pretty pictures: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9613099/Celebrity-sperm-donor-service-gears-up-for-launch.html
Or, just the text:

By James Hall, Consumer Affairs Editor

7:14PM BST 16 Oct 2012

Fame Daddy will offer would-be-mothers “top quality celebrity surrogate fathers” when it launches next February, according to Dan Richards, its chief executive.

Prices will start at £15,000 for a premium sperm service from the clinic.

The company’s website, which launched last week, claims that women can pick from a range of celebrated high-achievers when picking a prospective father for their offspring. The identities of each high-flying father will kept secret as the donors have been guaranteed anonymity. The men will also be required to sign a legal waiver of their rights to access to the child.

However would-be mothers using the Fame Daddy clinic will be able to identify their area of achievement and other personal attributes.

They can choose from donor dads who have excelled in a range of fields including sport, entertainment and business. The website lists a range of “sample profiles” of typical sperm donors, including an Oscar-winning actor, a member of the House of Lords and an ex-Premiership footballer.

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Last night Mr Richards admitted that the clinic has no real sperm samples “as of yet”. He said that the online descriptions are examples of the type of clientele that Fame Daddy “intends to attract”.
However he said that the site’s register of possible donors already includes a retired ATP tennis pro, retired English cricketers and a multi-platinum recording artists.
Mr Richards said: “We currently have about 40 people on our register of interested donors. Of course, until we have premises we cannot store sperm and therefore we as of yet have no actual samples. I am confident most of these will donate once we are operational.”
He said that “like all licensed clinics”, information about the donors will be stored in a confidential registry “that can be accessed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), who also manage our file architecture and data management systems”.
The company is “confident” it will complete the four-month application process for HFEA approval by next February.
Mr Richards said: "Our vision is to help women give their children the very best chance in life.
"To be able to harvest potential from the global gene pool, rather than from the more limited selection of the men she comes into direct contact with, is a major evolutionary leap for women.
"Our aim is to provide excellent levels of medical care in a supportive and nurturing environment. We will offer a range of top quality celebrity surrogate fathers whose contributions are exclusively available at our fertility clinic.
"Whether it is talent on the stage or pitch, having a world beating voice, or just being very beautiful, Fame Daddy will have the perfect celebrity surrogate daddy."

I Totally Stole This From Bernadette, 'Cos It Was The Shot I Was Too Chicken To take!

Molly Ringwald & Master Class in Memoir

Hello, my chickens:

So, rec'd a partial scholarship for Peter Mountford's Master Class in Memoir at Hugo House this fall, start next week! Am thrilled/terrified, since haven't written non-fiction in some time.

Last night went to see my teenage idol MOLLY RINGWALD read at Elliott Bay Books for her new book of short stories, When It Happens To You. SO charming/eloquent/funny/erudite! She made me want to be her all over again (FYI, "To Be Molly Ringwald" was the sole goal of my 14-year-old-self). It's incredibly reassuring to know that the person you've looked up to for almost thirty years (!!!) is someone you still want to BE.

She was just lovely, and looks EXACTLY the same as in her 80's movies. And, she's a darned good writer--I LOVED her memoir, Getting the Pretty Back, and now When It Happens To You looks like more of the same wonderful writing; I read the first couple pages before bed last night, and was blown away--it's going to be such a fantastic read!

Will stay in touch--as of now am keeping my Thursday hours at Raven, where my current barber schedule is: Mon, Thur-Sat: 9AM-3PM.

Sold an at-cost copy of the Spring 2012 Storylandia (featuring my short story, "The Deepest Crease Visible") this week from my hairstyling station (Thanks, Bruce!)--$4 gets you my great story plus an autograph! I also have at-cost copies of the Winter 2012 Storylandia (featuring my short story "See You There," $4) and the Summer No. 33 2011 issue of The Ledge Magazine (featuring my short story "Celebrity Sperm Bank," $8)

Still day-dreamin' about Molly...