Taiko drumming isn't the best thing ever...

[solarbird]

Three days at Folklife is a new record, but it was totally worth it to go back again today; 1) Kokon Taiko were performing today, and they're always good (even if they were a little off form this year - I blame the confined staging placement; I think One World outdid them this year) and 2) Some very good koto music by a duet called Wusabi. I really like the koto.

Well, okay, also 3) running into lyonesse's younger self. That was kind of freakish - I mean, it was the kind of exactly the same person that makes you wonder whether you're suddenly mentally confused. It wasn't just her general appearance, but expressions, movements, way of sitting, way of dressing - it was downright creepy. It's one of those times when I had to keep looking to see whether she'd spontaniously decided to fly out and not told us! Oh, and cut her hair shorter. Which she's been known to do, so you never do know.

I also wanted to jam some in the Bluegrass open jam, but annathepiper and spazzkat wanted to get to the Taiko drumming really, really early, so I missed most of that. Bluegrass isn't my favourite, and I'm not qualified to sit (or stand) really in the first rung, but I'm pretty good at picking up a rhythm and going with whatever style is in play at the moment, and mostly, I was enjoying it. Ah well, I got some pretty good jamming time in yesterday, so that's not bad. (During yesterday's Irish jam, they tried to hand me a solo chunk suddenly mid-song, because they apparently thought I knew what I was doing despite never having heard the song they were playing before. That's good in that I can jam along with decent players on a song I've never heard, though. So I'm happy.)

On the way to the drumming, spazzkat spotted and pointed out an unbelievably gorgeous blue/white/silver Chinese dress outfit that I would kill for, but sadly, no monex. Stupid no monex. But at least we didn't spend loads. Now if my allergies would kick down a bit - I think this is one of those days I'd have been totally incapacitated before Allegra, but just have nasty post-nasal drip now - things would be great. (It means no singing. I hate that.)

Oh, and if anyone's wondering, Dixie's has kicked up The Man again - I could taste a lot more Dave's Insanity Sauce in it, or something with a similar taste of smoke - and I didn't realise until it was too late. I had to leave half my beef BBQ sandwich uneaten. Criminal! When I first had it a few years ago, I could handle two teaspoons in a beef brisket; now half a forkload is plenty! (Maybe too much. This was 2/3 a forkload. And it's a small fork!)

It did clear out my sinuses for about half an hour, though. That was nice. ^_^

We also sat through a performance by the Seattle Mandolin Society, but their playlist is really dull, and they don't really put any energy into the music - the best they manage is "slightly perky" - so it was kind of a snoozer for me, though Anna and Paul both liked it better. For Anna, it was nice just seeing a lot of mandolins, and particularly a bass mandolin, and for Paul they used to play a lot of that music at Busch Gardens, which is where he worked during the summers back in Virginia.

And, of course, all sorts of clothing I wanted to buy but didn't, and some lovely journal covers that I wanted, but were all too expensive this year. Hopefully 2004 will involve more cash!

Now. What to do tonight... I think "be lazy" is on tap, after all that walking. ^_^

Comments

[princessheacock.livejournal.com]

Yes, I was -entirely- surprised by how expensive the journal covers were! Wow. Not sure they justify quite that high of prices.

[solarbird]

So you were there! We didn't see you or wingedelf either, and I was looking. Of course, it was a COMPLETE MOB, but even so.

I think we did see a couple of Norwescon people, tho'. And I ran into my old boss from Microsoft, Vikram, but he didn't recognise me and I didn't particularly want to chat anyway, so I just kept going. ^_^

[princessheacock.livejournal.com]

I looked for you guys, too. But realized pretty rapidly that the chance of bumping into each other was about nil.

Mark -- one of our group. Was at the drumming circle for a long time between 3 and 5. So you may have seen him and his wife. But my boyfriend and I weren't ever there.

We got there in time to watch the Morris dances, then eat and then went and looked at booths. (D.J. LOVED the music shop. He got all into the violins and stuff, looking to see if anyone sold a viola. He's SUCH the musician. I also got pictures of him playing the 1/4 violin that he ahd borrowed from one of the couple of girls playing next to the Piroshki place. Playing the music they were learning on -- some special method -- cause he still remembered it! He started when he was 6!

Next time-- I want to do some of the participatory dances. We managed to miss that altogether this year.

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

a younger me! how scary. did you talk to her?

i spent yesterday cleaning out the machine-room closet and going to a storyreading bbq, all three thousand miles away :)

[solarbird]

I was really tempted to talk, but what could I say? "Hi, you appear to be a near-identical-clone of a former housemate of mine! Wanna get cotton candy?" Besides, she was with a couple of people. So I didn't. ^_^

[amethyst-dancer.livejournal.com]

Someone talked to me like that once -- the person sitting next to me at placement exams for freshman orientation at Michigan State. She said I looked so much like her close friend from home that it was uncanny. And her home was in a different part of the state than mine was.

Nonetheless, it turned out that her friend was my cousin! Someone I had only met a couple times, but the family always said how much we looked alike.

Which is even more freaky if you consider that I was adopted, and Heather wasn't genetically related to me at all as far as I know.