Naimaland State of the Union 02/03/14

I've been away from blogging since December for mental health reasons. The day after my last post I won an award at work. They mailed an award plaque and balloons to my home as congratulations. The awards dinner will be held in Disney World. Paid round trip and everything. The same night, a family friend passed away at 36 years old. He passed away sometime between the phone call and us arriving at the hospital. The Husband Person had the misfortune and shock of seeing his body still laid out on the bed before we had been informed he had passed away. It was fairly traumatizing. I've never experienced a day of both a high and a low of such extremes.

That weekend I performed as Rosie the Riveter in the Big Show, Girlz. The following weekend at the Malaika holiday hafla. I think both went well. I see myself in the pictures but I honestly don't remember much. It felt more like those times when you drive home but don't remember how you got there.

The Husband Person's birthday came shortly thereafter. It was not a happy one seeing as how his mind was still at the hospital with his friend and that now they were the same age. I tried to stay positive and accommodating to his needs. Christmas came and went. It felt awkward and sad. Then New Year's. I went to bed early.

On top of all of this, I was hired into a new department at the tail end of November. I was going through all of the growing pains of a transition into a new job and by January I ran out of steam. I am the proverbial introvert and had not had any time to myself for my own thoughts or needs. I wrote in my journal for the first time ever, "I am depressed." Hitting bottom one day, I hardly spoke for 24 hours. This was followed by a few days of doing mindless quiet tasks alone for hours so I could get my mind back into a feeling of normalcy. I did talk to a few friends and family about what I was dealing with but reaching out isn't what helps me. Reaching within, privately, is what helps me to process.

My "alone" time helped greatly. I kept January as low-key as possible. It is now February. I have been planing what to pack for my Disney trip at the end of the month. Visioncon is also a top priority. Meetings have been weekly since the beginning of January. I will actually miss the first day of con due to my Disney trip so I have to have all of my registration duties taken care of before I leave. I don't know when I'll get back to more regular blogging. I have a couple projects in the works that aren't quite ready to go online yet. "Easy does it," is my motto right now. On a lighter note, I finished the Harry Potter book series for the first time. I heart them.

~N

 

 Laced Photography & Design

 Laced Photography & Design

Laced Photography & Design

Bloglovin

I'm moving my favorite blog feeds from Google Reader over to Bloglovin thanks to Crystal at Straight On Till Morning.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

~N

Happy 4th of July!

May fireworks shoot from your breasts like stars!

Right now, at this very moment while writing this post, I am a song splicing genius with no make-up and greasy hair. My eyelashes and eyebrows are also totally blond.

Naima photo credit: Chris Bryant

On the internet I am a Photoshopped Bellydance goddess with a nice rack.

Actually, my rack is pretty nice all of the time.

So, it is the early am on the 4th of July. I have spent the past 3 hours editing music to my great satisfaction. After my last post about backtracking, my dance has been at a stand still for over 2 weeks. It hasn't really helped that it has also been in the triple digits most of that time making me feel extra sluggish. I have been spending most of that time with the Husband Person, video games, movies, and hooping. Today I was ready to dive back in and start gearing up for the next dance events on my calendar.

Right, so onward and upward and all that. Happy 4th!

~N

BD Vlog 19: GreekNightZills

I finally broke my zill-playing cherry at this month's Greek Night. I played and danced improv. It was slow and a little sloppy in some places. There was nothing impressive nor exciting about it but I did it! I made it over the hurdle of my first ever performance playing zills live. *whew*

~N

Thanks to Hessa for the video clip from her phone.

Educate Thy Self

So far, my favorite debate against SOPA and PIPA.
~N

My Other-Other Hobby

Bookmarks stashed in an old Avon box.

I have been collecting bookmarks since 1986. My collecting has slowed down a lot over the past 10 years, with Bellydance being my primary hobby. Despite this my collection currently stands at 138 bookmarks. I keep them stashed away in a tiny box. I decided to start scanning them and uploading them to the internet making an online gallery of sorts. I have only managed to post 50 because I scan the front and back of each one and re-size them to fit together. Tedious but worth it.

http://bookmarkcollecting.blogspot.com/

~N

Daughter Answers Father's 8/8/88 letter on 11/11/11

Dear Dad,

I just found your letter in a box of old stuff the other day. I was pleasantly surprised to find it just in time to write you back. Thank you so much for the present. I have no memory of what it was but I'm sure I liked it a lot. Don't feel bad that you were late in sending it. Even though I was only 10 I still understood that it is hard to ship packages when you are stationed out at sea.

The letter from your computer is very nice. I am using a laptop in my living room to write this letter while watching my husband play video games on our 42" LCD TV. Our technology is quite out of date but it is sufficient for our needs. When I am finished I will post this letter on my blog.  Most people don't hand-write letters anymore. Most people don't even use email anymore. Everyone uses the "FaceySpaceys," texting, or online chatting to communicate. I wonder how much longer the Post Office can survive with the internet's world wide free communication. I read an article in the paper recently (an honest to goodness print paper) about the USPS having to close down many of the small town PO's because of the decrease in revenue over the past 10 or so years. I never realized that the USPS has not received tax payer dollars since the 1980's. It's a shame the USPS has been taking such a hit lately but I do really like the ability to embed links in my letters. Cool, huh?

Did you notice the time stamp on this post? It is the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the eleventh year. It has only been 23 years since your wrote the 8/8/88 letter. Now that we are at the beginning of the century the same digit date happens more often. The next time the date is all the same digit will be nexy year on 12/12/12.

I am no longer in school anymore. I work full time now. I will have been with the company for 11 years next January. It was not exactly how I imagined myself in the future but my benefits are pretty good and I get a ton of vacation days.

Oh! Do you know how old I was this birthday? I turned 33. I'm getting old, ain't I? I still have never returned to California. I like to tell people that I was born there but I've never been. I have always intended on going to San Diego to see the place I came into the world. Maybe stick my feet in the Pacific Ocean while I'm at it. I don't know when or if that will ever happen but I am staying optimistic.

As for Kenny and Jane, I have not seen them in years. I probably wouldn't know Kenny from Adam if I bumped into him. I'm guessing their daughter must be in her early twenties now.

I hope to come visit you sometime next summer. Maybe sometime around my birthday. You don't have to worry if I like your gifts anymore. I think now that I am in my 30s money is always better, LOL! Tell everyone I said, "Hi!"

Love,
Em

P.S.
I've scanned a copy of the letter you sent with the gift just in case you forgot what it said.

Naimaland State of the Union

B.S-C. on the stage at Pythian Castle

Right, so moving to a new house was quite unexpected and even though it only took a week to move my whole life seems to be about a month behind. We left the old house behind at 2am on the night of the Husband Person and my 5 year wedding anniversary. The next weekend I taught and performed at Hips Noir VI. I spent a 1 1/2 weeks driving back and forth to the office until my home office internet was set up. Two weeks later was the workshop and show featuring Sahar Sami. Many of us had the opportunity to dance on the stage at Pythian Castle, which was super cool. The following day was a trip to Joplin for Sahar's Haram production. Oh, and I modeled in a recent photo shoot. Busy busy month.

Stephanie N. at Pythian Castle (she made her costume)

Behind the scenes at Pythian

Dancers' lounge at Pythian Castle

Father - Daughter Zeibekiko

A ridiculously huge mirror in Pythian Castle

Dancers pose for photos after the Haram show

Me with Stephanie N. as "the Bride" from the Haram show

KC, Miss B, Patsy B, and me after the Haram show

Boober crashed out after his last round of shots for the year.

A rare sight, Rupert and Boober make nice. 

Beebin taking respite in my new office.

A never-ending procession of stuff to unpack.

Looking for the Sew Along bra in the Craft/Dance/Guest Room, aka "The Blue Room"

My current goal is to get back into the Sew Along and have the bra finished by Thanksgiving. I have located everything I need to pick up where I left off. I did get sidetracked with another costume while looking for the Sew Along items because it too is very close to being completed. I also have to refit some costumes before next Saturday's Greek Night. None of my costumes fit properly, yet again. This time because of getting in shape and not from gaining weight. I am seriously thinking about selling Hopes and Dreams and the Glitter Dot costumes despite the work I recently put into them. They are too big and I think I would rather sell them to someone who needs them instead of ripping them apart to refit.

Everyone dig out your sewing projects and keep an eye out for the next Sew Along post in the next week or so.

~N

Moving: It's like this and like that and like this and a...

Naima. Photo: Bruce Herdman, 09/24/11

We are officially moved into new home. We managed to move everything in a week. I am exhausted and super busy. We lived in the old house 11 years. That is the longest I have ever lived in one place. Ever. I was really anxious about moving at first but I really LOVE our new place. It isn't fancy or new but it is a real "home."

With a dishwasher! =)

 Augustus (aka Boober) helps with packing

How not to power off your Xbox360 (it was broken)

I shoots arrows at Xbox good!

 The long shot

One of the coolest parts of our new house is the remodeled bathroom complete with "waterfall" shower head, track lighting, and spiffy arches. The toilet is recessed into one of these arch ways which the Husband Person refers to as the "Hide-and-Go-Poop." It makes for a great FaceySpacey profile picture back drop. I think everyone who comes to visit should snap a profile pic of their own as a memento. I took a few to show off my modeling skills.

You would never know I am standing in front of a toilet, would you?

I hope to get back to the Sew Along and regular blogging soon. There is still much unpacking to be done. Until then...

~N

Notes to Self

 A reminder to start drills on the left (because I never start left,) and to stop transitioning out of one move into the other before it is completed.

R, R, Holy Cow, R, Holy Cow, R, L from Belly Dancing Basics.

Zills with muffs

Note to self: You may be sweaty, tired, and mentally drained (after drilling)...but you're still a pretty pretty princess.

The sew along poll has closed with 10 want-to participants, 2 sewingly-challenged, and 5 voyeurs. Thank you all for voting allowing me a chance to gauge the interest for this project. I am working on it right now and intend on having a supplies list and schedule up very soon.

~N

Postcards From Birthweek

Acting our age.

Surprise from the Husband Person

Helping

The best "Bellp" Dance Songs I've ever heard.

Personalized hair flowers

"It's chompers had chompers!!"

The Acme Attitude Adjuster

Hooping, I'm sort of addicted.

The best Not-Dancers you'll ever meet.

Earrings. Yeah, they're pretty awesome.

Sewing EXPLOSION!

Crazy was not an option.

~N