Lakshmi Amman's Journal

Last night's classes were awesome. We're learning our first Mohini Attam choreography, and I'm finally caught up after slacking during BBE. For the first time in a while, I was not surprised by stuff I should have known.

Even better - Kalari class moved on to stick fighting. Up to now it's been crazy high energy exercises. But our teacher decided we're good enough to start hitting with sticks. I've been dubious about this part - but am eager to have a break from killer exercises. I liked it way more than expected. The focus is precision and speed, not force. We started with foam tubes that are the right length and thickness but the wrong weight. It may be we want rattan that is either SCA thickness or a little thinner.

I thought this might mess with me - I'm not an instinctive fighter, my flight impulse is very strong. But I had a GREAT time hitting people with...er... foam. Very cathartic.

Today is becoming a very frustrating day at work. I wish hitting people with sticks was part of my job.

Work wise:
- document is out. Now the customer's email is screening out any attachment format known to man... but that's not my problem. My boss is handling it.
- slides are 1/2 done, and my boss liked the first half, with minor tweaks. Yay!

( lots about dance )

So... a busy week this week... not sure how much I'll post.

Next week we have a customer in for a "TIM" - Technical Interchange Meeting - or something like that. In general, we call it a TIM when we let the geeks talk. This time, I'm the big geek - my work is the thing being delivered, so I'm the main speaker. Not a biggie - those who know me in person, know I can easily talk non-stop for 2 hours. :) But this is pretty high-pressure, as a sense of humor is not valued at these meetings, and non-stop geek speak is a little more work than merrily babbling along about India and the SCA.

So.. right now, we are doing the major final reviews of my requirements analysis - as usual, a week late. And, while I do these miraculous final edits, and get the paper signed off by all the critical stakeholders in the company, I also have to write up slides, to be reviewed Friday. Ahh!!

And... back when I had free time, I committed to doing a sari teaching class tonight with the Hippie Chix - a sister troupe to my own Middle Eastern troupe - who just bought a ton of saris, in preparation for some SE Asian inspired choreography. So... no working late tonight, but if the situation is dire, I may skip my own troupe's class tomorrow, if I must. (crosses fingers)

Plus - I have a court date for a speeding ticket today - so I need to jet quickly to go to West Roxbury.

Oh - and I am getting trained for 1/2 an hour in our Risk Managment Tool at 2:00. (raises hand) I know a risk!! If I don't get these stinking slides done... this project will not go well!!

Oddly, I find myself unable to get really stressed. Maybe I don't care enough... ? I'm working. Hard. But I just can't riled up about this. Maybe my stress capabilities have just been worn out from too many years of overcommitting myself. My boss certainly doesn't seemed stressed, either, so maybe I'm taking my cue from him.