Man, I just checked, and there's no CSTS event in NOLA.

CSTS San Diego is generally late July, to coincide with ComicCon, so you could catch that one...IJS. (I would happily put up the air mattress for you).

I also wanted to link to the new dress I bought on Monday as an early birthday present:

[link]

Now I just need an occasion or destination to wear it to.

Barb, I could only watch about half that video (stupid weird itchy irritated eyes, thank heavens I can type with my eyes closed), but

He said the back bend move was alarming. *snicker*

I gotta say, I was greatly impressed by the depth and grace of it. Also, you have delicious legs. Kinda wanna take a nibble.

Note to self: Stop rubbing your damn eyes, it doesn't help.

I thought you looked darling, darling!

Tell me, though -- when you put that dress on, did you just spin around in it a million times? Because I totally wouldn't have been able t stop myself.

Andi, try cold steeped tea bags on your eyes. Helps my allergy eye to feel less flamey.

You made everything look so effortless in that dance, Barb!

So today I have unexpectedly off. My org's fiscal year ends on 6/30, and I had a use-it-or-lose-it vacation day, and no meetings scheduled today. So my manager said, "Off you go."

I'm thinking of getting a massage, then biking over to a nearby coffee house for a day of books and fic.

Now I just need an occasion or destination to wear it to.

Hee! My friend got that dress and promptly wore it to work (at a bookstore). Her husband was like "It looks like a prom dress" but everyone else thought she looked smashing! It's a gorgeous dress!

Belated birthday wishes for Epic. May this be your best year to date.

Wow Barb! Beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

Gorgeous dress, Epic! And thanks for the invite, I wish I could!

I am feeling meh and overwhelmed this morning, which actually carried over from last night. Time to follow the advice I got in my last fortune cookie; "Dispel negativity with creative activities."

Epic, that dress is sooooo purdy!

And thank you, my darlings, for all the lovely compliments on my dancing adventures. I swear, it almost took more nerve to post that than it did to actually perform. And lemme tell you, performing took some gumption. But now I've got the first one out of the way and yes, I said first, because I'm going to start competing later this year. That's what I've really discovered I love about ballroom-- like figure skating it appeals to both my creative and competitive sides. It also gets me out of the house and out of my own head, which is a very good thing and ultimately, can only help the writing.

Win/Win!

I'm thinking of getting a massage, then biking over to a nearby coffee house for a day of books and fic.

Sounds like an excellent vacation day to me!

My friend got that dress and promptly wore it to work (at a bookstore). Her husband was like "It looks like a prom dress" but everyone else thought she looked smashing! It's a gorgeous dress!

My workplace is a very much male-dominated, business-very-casual sort of place. Even with my solid rep for individuality and over-the-top-ness, that dress would be too much. A (male) friend happened to return a call from me while I was in the dressing room and I asked him to take me out somewhere nice so I'd have an excuse to buy the dress and he said yes. Now we just need him to have slightly better follow-through than usual.

Belated birthday wishes for Epic. May this be your best year to date.

Thanks, Laura!

Oh, and WindSparrow, you should definitely try to find yourself some dance classes! There are so many out there, and so fun! (In addition to local dance studios, I've also done classes through the YMCA and City Parks - there's tons of stuff out there! Lots of different times & costs - and fun!)

smonster, insent.

Bleargh, my allergies are kicking my ass this week. I went to bed early with a massive allergy migraine, and I sneezed and dripped all the way through the farmer's market.

I did get a fabulous planter with black petunias, heliotrope, and allysium -- a HUGE planter, for $10!

Now I have to write, and I really just want to lay down with an ice pack on my nose and eyes.