First week back at my dance classes after the Christmas break. Everyone agreed that 3 weeks is too long of a break b/c we were all really sore after Monday....
Of course, I was all "rarin' to go" (or whatever that saying is...looks weird now that i've typed it out) and Monday afternoon I started to get sick. Yes, a cold. I realized I haven't had one of those in years. The realization came when i came home and I had no cold medication of any sort in my house. And I went to the store on Tuesday to buy some and I couldn't even remember what i usually buy. Anyway, it's almost done now, I think. One more good night of sleep and i should be right as rain (what the heck does that mean, anyway?). Only good thing about being sick is that it seems i get very silly at times. Fun. In Choreography class we were talking about how a certain teacher has certain moves that they put in all their dances. One girl said we should use one of those moves in the dance we were working on. Someone else said we could quote that teacher. I said we could do the move while doing the "air quotes" with our fingers. And someone else added that we would have that teacher's name written on our forehead.

But I digress... (i've just always wanted to say that) :oP

Anyway, i hope you've had fun reading my delirious rantings and ravings and that you aren't completed confused because i'm sure half of it didn't even make any sense. That's what happens when my head is full of snot.

Strange what bubbles to the surface of my mind sometimes. Yesterday, I suddenly thought of (for no apparent reason) a TV show that I used to watch in high school called Alive From Off Center. It was (to quote a website I found about it) an "Avant garde 1980's PBS show that featured works by off the wall artists in many different fields." I didn't really remember much about it, except that it usually had really off the wall film shorts and other bizarre stuff. Upon a little internet surfing, I found that there was a lot of dance on it too. No wonder I liked it (even though I didn't know I liked dance then...).

Went to the WAG (Winnipeg Art Gallery) the other day. The exhibits that were on were Bug City, some lady's hooked rug art, Into the Collection (various paintings and sculpture from the WAG's permanent collection) and Salvador Dali's paintings commemorating Israel's 20th anniversary of....something which I can't remember. I think my favorite was Bug City, not for the subject matter but because there were lots of different media (paintings, drawings, installations, video etc.). There was one that had several cardboard boxes filled with little papers with bugs printed on them. It had motors inside that made pens in the boxes do various things. Whoever the artist was must have worked in an office at some point. I think I liked it the best because it MOVED! And I'm really a dancer/choreographer, not an artist in the strictest sense of the word.

Here's my favorite Dali painting - The Persistence of Memory. Unfortunately, none of his surrealist paintings were on display at the WAG.

"You're holding on to every little thing so tightly
Till there's nothing left for you anyway."
Gone -- U2

"If I could, through myself, set your spirit free
I'd lead your heart away, see you break, break away
Into the light and to the day.

To let it go and so to find a way.
To let it go and so find a way.
I'm wide awake.
I'm wide awake, wide awake.
I'm not sleeping."
Bad -- U2

My favorite Christmas song.... I tried to find a place where you could listen to it, but alas, I could not. Here are the lyrics, anyway. If you know it, please sing along.

Do they know it's Christmas?

It's Christmastime,
there's no need to be afraid
At Christmastime,
we let in light and we banish shade
And in our world of plenty
we can spread a smile of joy
Throw your arms around the world
at Christmastime

But say a prayer,
pray for the other ones
At Christmastime it's hard,
but when you're having fun
There's a world outside your window,
and it's a world of dread and fear
Where the only water flowing
is the bitter sting of tears
And the Christmas bells that ring there
are the clanging chimes of doom
Well tonight thank God it's them
instead of you

And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmastime
The greatest gift they'll get this year is life(Oooh)
Where nothing ever grows
No rain or rivers flow
Do they know it's Christmastime at all?

Here's to you raise a glass for everyone
Here's to them underneath that burning sun
Do they know it's Christmastime at all?

Feed the world
Feed the world
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmastime again

Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmastime again

I'm in the middle of reading the book "Bono In Conversation With Michka Assayas". There's a bit that Bono says which stuck with me...

"In the end, ideas are not worth as much as people. Whenever you meet a philosophy where that is not true, and where ideas are worth more than people, you have to be on your guard. A dangerous idea that almost makes sense is a very compelling thing. In a way, when the devil gets it right, it usually not a wrong fighting with a right, it's usually two half-truths fighting it out."

Made me think of the religious crap and legalism that I grew up with. It was all about  ideas about God being more important than people and relationships. I'll give you an example. When one of my brothers was in junior high or high school he came to church in jeans. No big deal, you're thinking, right? Well, an older church member came up to him and scolded him for wearing jeans. The idea of wearing the right clothes to church (which I think comes out of having respect for God or something like that) was more important than the person -- my brother. If my brother had been more important to that older gentleman than his philosophy, he might have actually talked to him instead of scolding him. Found out what his favourite subject was in school, or what his hobbies were or what he thought of the weather we were having or ANYTHING!

Being the domestic goddess that I am, I thought I would share my favorite Christmas recipe with you.

Christmas Goodies
Ingredients
Winter coat, scarf and mittens
Car (optional)
Grocery store
Cash, Debit Card or Credit Card

1. Put on your winter coat, scarf and mittens.
2. Put some cash or your debit or credit in your pocket.
3. Go outside.
4. Get in your car and drive or start walking towards your local grocery store.
5. Arrive at the grocery store and go inside.
6. Pick up a box or bag of cookies, squares or other baking that you like.
7. Go to the cashier and pay for the goodies.
8. Go outside and back to your place of residence via the method you came.

Your Christmas baking is complete!

Eat your heart out, Martha Stewart!!!!

Ever have one of those days that has this random theme running through it? Yesterday, the theme was farting.

First, a guy at work brought a "farting machine" to work. It's basically a small speaker and a remote with one button. Every time you press the button, a different type of farting noise is emmited from the speaker. So he had lots of fun hiding the speaker at different people's desks and then pressing the remote button at opportune moments. It was hilarious! Today, he put the speaker in one pocket and the remote in the other and walked around making people think he was farting.

Then, at lunch I was reading U2 At The End Of The World and believe it or not, I came to a paragraph on farting! A quote -- "As the wine bottles are emptied everyone agrees taht as a child Adam's great claim to fame was his virtuoso ablility to fart at the perfect moment...Edge says that Adam's legendary status among his fellow schoolchildern was assured the time he let a big ripper in class and told the angry teacher, 'I'm sorry, ma'am, it just slipped out of my bottom.'"

Then after work, I went to the ATM machine. As I was punching buttons and shuffling various papers in and out of the machine, someone came in the door. I didn't pay much notice until ALL OF A SUDDEN...my olfactory nerves with assulted! Good thing it's winter and I was wearing a scarf that I could bury my face in! Whew!

Why are farts always funny? I think because somewhere inside each of us, we're still 8 years old. That 8 year old is just closer to the surface of some people than others.

We had a book when I was a kid called The Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Today was one of those days.

First, I went to the dentist. It was a good visit. No cavities. But still, it was the dentist.

Then, my battery light on my car had been on and off since Saturday. Finally got my car in to have it checked. Turned out I needed an alternator. LOTS of money. I suspect they may be taking my for a ride b/c my brother's co-worker (a mechanic) checked it on Saturday and said the alternator was really good. And they tried to upsell me a whole wack load of things, including an oil change which i just had done 2 months ago. When I told him that, he backed down on that one at least. grrrrrrr......

The guy that drove me back to work with the garage's free shuttle service proceeded to tell me all his dating woes. I tried to be polite, but I'm always suspcious of people who spill their guts to strangers. And it's a little annoying too.

I dumped half my lunch on the floor.

The shuttle service guy played country music on the way back to the store when he came to pick me up later. I HATE country music.

I was late for dance classes because of all this. Missed my first class entirely.

I know there were other things, but I'm too tired to think now.

OK. I'm done complaining. Maybe I'll post all the things I was thankful for in this day tomorrow.

Thinking about artists and society lately. By artists I mean visual artists and musicians and dancers and actors and playwrights and choreographers and poets and whatever other creative people you can think of (quilters, soapstone carvers....). I think that, in general, we as as society do not treat our artists well. Either they are dirt-poor or have to have other "mainstream" jobs to pay the bills which leaves little time for practicing or producing art;  OR we idolize them and put them on such a ridiculasly high plain that they can't have a normal life because of fans and the stalkerazzi and whatever else they have to deal with which really has nothing to do with their job. I'm sure there are artists who have figured out how to make a decent income doing what they love and were born to do without the trappings and trap of fame, but it seems they are in the minority. I don't know how this can change, but I think supporting local artists is a start. Maybe realizing that famous artists "are people too" is another.

Here's a poem I wrote quite a while ago and just found again going through some files....

Father of News

War zones, bad thrones
Camera  and a microphone
Trenchcoat flying
Put this on the evening news
Film at eleven.

Nightline, grapevine
You feed me a line
Gently pulling
Reel me in, stealing sense
This just in...

I know what you really deal
I know what you really steal
I know who you really are
Father of news

Father of news
No tatoos
Only the blues
One-sided views
Blow a fuse
If she sues
Who's gonna lose?
Better to accuse
Or to schmooze?
You confuse
You abuse
I cannot excuse
Channels we peruse
I sit here and muse
As they snooze
I've paid my dues
Now I choose
To refuse
Father of news.

©1997 Cheri Dueck

A friend told me of an incident that happened to her the other day. She was standing around chatting with a group of people and someone mentioned something exciting, so she jumped up and down (and said "yeah!" or whatever). Someone in the group then said "You're just like an 8 year old!"

Now, I know that it was just a comment. But it gets me thinking -- why is jumping up and down a sign of immaturity? Are adults not supposed to express themselves through physical movement? Maybe that's why North America is becoming so obese... physical exercise is something adults should be embarrased about. Huh? I don't think so. Maybe we should all act a little more childish. Jump around! Wave your arms! Run! Skip!

I will get down off my soap box now....

My U2 concert DVD came from Amazon the other day. Yeah! I've watched it all already, of course. My only complaint is -- NOT ENOUGH ADAM! But Bono was absolutely hilarious -- what a goof.   I was a bit disappointed with the behind the scenes documentary on the 2nd disc -- I thought there would be more of the band. But it was good anyway. I got all crazy and excited when I saw the audience getting their tix scanned and the U2 screen pops up. Ahhh, the memories....
So here's one of my U2 theories. At every concert, there is one song which is "Adam's song". Not sure how to explain this intuitive thing going on in my head, but it has something to do with how many shots there are of him (on a DVD) or how he seems to be more in the spotlight (live) for a certain song. On the Vertigo DVD, it is Mysterious Ways. When I saw them live in Minneapolis, it was Streets. On Rattle and Hum it's Bad. Perhaps the other guys have their "songs" too -- I just notice Adam's cuz he's my fav.
Feel free to post your opinion on this (or just tell me I'm crazy, cuz I probably am...way too much U2 on the brain...)

Monday was fall. Tuesday to Thursday were winter. Friday and the weekend are spring.  Welcome to Manitoba.... Plus 6 Celcius tomorrow and the snow just about be gone. Yeah!

Our first winter storm of the year. It had snowed one other time, but was all melted by the next day. I think this is here to stay. Yuck! I can't even get out of my parking spot. And chances are I won't be able to get to my parking spot at work, or get stuck somewhere in between. So, I won't be going to work. Or dance, I guess. That'll probably be cancelled. Grrrrrr! I hate snow!

Remember the wars fought and being fought -- both on the world scene and in your own life. Bring peace where you can.

Heaven on Earth
We need it now
I'm sick of all of this
Hanging around
Sick of sorrow
Sick of pain
Sick of hearing again and again
That there's gonna be
Peace on Earth

Peace on Earth, U2