Side Projects (or How I Spend My Free Time) II - The Fun Stuff

In a previous episode our intrepid blogger detailed all the usual ways in which she spends/wastes her free time.  Join us now as she details five ways she has fun with her spare time!

Watch movies  - I like to watch movies at the cinema, on DVD, and, on rare occasions, video cassette tape! My preferred genres are mystery, thriller, science fiction, fantasy, action/adventure, western and comedy .  Comedy is a pretty broad genre, so to clarify my preference is for 1930s screwball comedies and crazy, stupid comedies by Saturday Night Live alumni as well as Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.

Knit - I haven't been knitting as much lately.  It could have something to do with the fact that I decided I ought to be knitting more.  I'm like a kid, once I think I 'ought' to do something or I 'should' do something then I stop doing it.  (With the exception of hauling my bum out of bed and going to work, of course!)  However, I just finished a toque for my step dad and I'm making socks for my sister and sister-in-law!  And, a friend from   burlesque has some 1940s knitting patterns that sound scrumptious!

Shop - I'm not one of those power shopping ladies (let's face it, I'm no lady) so most of my shopping is for groceries.   But sometimes I'll head out and go shopping for clothes, bath products or craft supplies.  My most recent big purchase was a bicycle.  Craft supplies are my current weakness.  I have purchased more than enough fabric and must start sewing more things!  I bought some lovely fabric when I was in Hawaii last March and still haven't made my pillow covers!

Sew - I just started sewing in the last year.  Not just replacing buttons, but sewing things with a sewing machine.  I sew costume pieces and I plan to put some crib quilts together this summer.  It's one of the things I need to make time for.  I'm looking forward to really getting into it.

Burlesque - I am a member of Saskatoon's Rosebuds Burlesque Club.  I have never had so much fun in all my life!  It is an empowering, funny, glamourous artform.  I love the history and heritage of it.  I love the spectacle.  I love that it pushes the boundaries of gender, society and propriety.  I love the women and men who are involved.  Without exception they are thoughtful, intelligent, open-minded, artistic, funny and talented!  I especially love dressing room conversations that range from 'Star Trek' and 'Doctor Who' to issues of sexual health.  I love creating an interesting and unique piece - the imagination, the planning, the rehearsing, designing and creating the costume - the whole process is wonderful.  And, I love taking my clothes off and twirling my tassels for an audience!  It's great fun!  If you get the chance you should take in a burlesque show.

Thanks for tuning in!  Our intrepid blogger will take you further into the world of burlesque in our next installment.  Same fun time!  Same fun channel!

Cheers,
Laura

Writing Prompt from Alice Kuipers (yes, the Alice Kuipers!)

Alice Kuipers posted this writing prompt, "It cost a bit more but ..."

Before you go any further this work comes with a language and violent situation warning.  If  you have small children they probably shouldn't read this.  If you don't like salty language, I apologize ahead of time. Here's what I wrote:

"It cost a bit more but, she couldn't see any other way.  She had to get out of Philadelphia.  How the hell did she get into this mess?  Fine, she'd get the ticket to Boston instead of New York.  It would probably be just as easy to get lost in Boston.  And, frankly, he'd probably be less likely to find her there.  He'd expect New York.  They'd always talked about a second honeymoon there.  Jesus, a second honeymoon?!  That seemed like some weird fantasy now.  How fucking blind could she have been?  An affair would have been preferable.  All the secrets, the too late nights.  She'd figured he was cheating.  God, how she wished it had been that simple.  A nice little affair with some doe-eyed bimbo he'd met at the club.  But this?  Holy shit!  A body in the walk-in freezer!?  Thank god he was in Vegas for the next couple of days.  She'd get to Boston, buy a new phone, then call her brother.  He'd know what to do.  Well, not with the body in the freezer - Sean could bloody well deal with that himself!  Peter had some connections in the FBI.  He'd figure it out with her.

She paid for the ticket in cash.  Sean would surely notice a thousand dollars missing, but what else could she do?  Well, she'd worry about that once she was in Boston.  The departure was called over the PA system.  She hoisted the heavy duffle bag onto her shoulder and headed to the platform.  She took a last surreptitious look around 30th Street Station.  She shoved her huge sunglasses up the bridge of her nose and adjusted the long black wig.  As she boarded the train she felt as though she was saying goodbye to a dear friend forever.  From this moment on Dina McCann would cease to exist.  Some black haired woman with huge sunglasses and nothing but a dirty duffle bag had replaced her."

So that's what I wrote.  I had no idea what would come to my mind when I first put pen to paper and, I admit, I'm a little surprised.  Pleasantly surprised.  I know what I want to write is detective/crime fiction and that is exactly what came out of my mind and on to the page.  So, what do you think?


Cheers,
Laura

What I Meant Was ...

A couple of months ago I attended the national conference of the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE).  It was quite good.  The best bit, however, came at the end.  Dr. Buffy Sainte-Marie delivered the closing keynote address.  She has been involved in education for over 30 years.  Her Cradleboard Teaching Project brings an aboriginal perspective to all subjects in all grades.  Her protest songs were part of my childhood.  She is very inspiring.  Of course, the main reason I know her work is from watching Sesame Street in the 1970s.  So, after her presentation I screwed up my courage and went to thank her for the talk and to say how much I admired her when I was a child.  I believe the exchange went something like this:  "Dr. Sainte-Marie, I just wanted to thank you for the talk.  I loved you on Sesame Street when I was a kid.  I wanted to be an Indian."  WHAT?!  Apparently, my brain and my mouth were not cooperating at that moment! So, Dr. Sainte-Marie, what I meant was ...

I loved watching you on Sesame Street.  I loved your hair and your clothes and your voice.  There was always love in everything you did.  I thought it would be wonderful to be native because then I would have a beautiful voice and shiny black hair and beautiful tan skin.  Around the same time that I was watching you on TV my dad took me to a Pow-Wow at Ska-Nah-Doht - an Iroquioan heritage village near London, Ontario. I fell in love with the songs, the dancing, the food.  I was so jealous that I was just a regular Southern Ontario white kid.  I wanted so much to have what I saw at the Pow-Wow - culture, heritage, history.  I have come to understand that my culture, heritage and history are wrapped up in the story of Ontario, Canada, Scotland and England.  But on that day I wanted to be an Indian.

So, that's what I meant.  It's unlikely that Dr. Sainte-Marie will ever hear this, but I really needed to get this off my chest. Now that this is floating around in cyberspace I feel a bit better.  Confession is good for the soul.

Cheers,
Laura