I'm just a girl...

When I got my lap top a year ago, I also purchased this docking station to go with it so I can have the monitor at an ergonomically correct height and be able to plug lots of usb connected things to it and yet still disconnect and move my computer easily when needed. But I couldn't use it because my desk had this annoying hutch that didn't leave room for the docking station. I finally had the hutch removed this weekend and hooked up the docking station:



But whenever the docking station is hooked up, the sound doesn't work. I have to disconnect the computer from the docking station to hear sound. If I connect it back while sound it playing, it will play it. But as soon as the sound is done, it will not play any other sounds again until I disconnect it.

Does anyone know why it would do this? I would see if my computer speakers work, but parts of them never got unpacked and I can't find them.

It happened again. I have to leave the "Pole for the Soul" sign on my doorbell because the two parties I have on Saturday received instructions to ring that bell when they arrive. And if I change the instructions, each party will have to try and notify 10 or so other women in their party of the change. It just made more sense to leave the doorbell up until after the two parties on Saturday.

But I had a workshop on Friday at 6:30pm. I sent a reminder to everyone on Thursday, including the fact that the door would not be unlocked until 6:15pm. But at 3 minutes to 6:00pm, some girl who arrived for the workshop was ringing my bell. It totally rattled me because I panicked and thought maybe I was remembering the start time of the workshop wrong (I wasn't). I ignored the bell, but I couldn't shake that rattled feeling. I was annoyed that she was just over 30 minutes early and expected to be let in. But on the other hand, I also felt really bad because I knew she was standing out there in the rain. Having a common area where people can get out of the rain is definitely a priority for my next studio. But I just couldn't get it this time around.

Anyway, I'll be so glad when the sign on the doorbell is down. I'll be so glad when I can show up to the studio at the time I said I would, and not have clients disturbing me at home while I'm trying to get dressed or eat dinner.

Last night had all the ingredients for a perfect night out. And since this is my fist Saturday off in months (no pole parties yesterday, day or night), I was *so* looking forward to going out to Noc Noc and had been for weeks.

I went with friends and even got to dress one of them up in my clothes (yay for having my own sexy living gothy Barbie doll to dress up!). Plus I ran into tons of friends there, even one that was kind enough to come out at the risk of having to go to work the next day with only a few hours sleep. I had one drink and managed to have a nice buzz for hours without ever getting too tipsy. And for some strange reason, the Saturday night DJ who always plays music all night that sucks, played great music almost all night! I couldn't believe it. I even had to check the DJ booth to make sure it was really the regular DJ (it was). So I got to dance...and dance...and dance...and...oh my god I'm sore now!

I also managed to pull things together in my closet to create and sexy new outfit that I've never worn before. And to top off the fun of wearing a new outfit, I had on brand new hair falls that I just loved. All night long people in the club pulled me aside to tell me how much they liked my outfit and how good I looked in it. And that always feels good when people appreciate the creativity and time I put into an outfit. On top of all that, I ran into a friend that offered me a paid go-go dancing gig at a huge Halloween event (there will be aeirialists and everything). I don't go-go dance much anymore these days but I do still love it so now I have plans for Halloween night! To top it all off, I actually left the club with more money in my wallet than when I walked in. It was such a great night that I'm already checking my calendar to see when I can go again. So far no one has booked me for the 25th, so maybe that will be my next night at Noc Noc.

Here are the hair falls I wore. They are dark brown and squiggly (like your hair was braided wet and you took the braids out when it dried) with sparkly pink woven through all of it and silver beads too.

Good god the workshops are selling like hotcakes! I am so grateful. When the first pole dance workshop in October sold out, I scheduled another one. That one is just one shy of selling out (and I got an e-mail requesting that I add one more spot to it so two friends can register together). So now it's time to schedule another workshop in November.

The striptease and lap dance workshops are also selling well, the October 12th one just sold out. So now those that wanted to get into the workshop in October will most likely start buying up the spots in the November 9th workshop. I have an amazing instructor that I have trained to teach these for me. The students love her. Everyone is happy. :)

I am still looking for the perfect pole pose for my new logo, so that I can invest in a sign for my storefront studio. It will be sort of abstract and silhouette like, so you won't actually see who the girl is. I just need a pose that gives the feel of comfort (in her own body), sensuality, tastefulness and fitness. I took this picture of one of my students this week because this pose comes sort of close:








Also this one (with my red studio lights on)...







But both poses lack any kind of action. Like with my current logo, where the body is moving and her hair is flowing. I tried having her toss her hair and got this shot:





I'm wondering if I can make her hair flow with one of the first two poses, as if she has just tossed her hair back.

I also like this pose:





But even abstract (so there isn't so much sexuality to it), it still says more sex than fitness.

Is there a picture or pose you like best? Or does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks!

When you are used to waking up to a view every morning, it's quite shocking to wake up and find the view...gone! Seattle is blanketed with a fabulous fog this morning. All I can see from my windows, even on the 4th floor, is fog.

Today my truck reached 90,000 miles. It is still sitting in the driveway with exactly 90,000 miles on it. Not one more more or one mile less. The timing is perfect as I have an appointment tomorrow with my mechanic for a 90,000 miles service. Apparently with all the belts being replaced and a new water pump and all the things they recommend, it will cost me about $1,100 plus tax. I've decided I can live with this considering that in the 6 or so years I have owned this truck (got it with 50k on it), I have never had one single problem or break down ever. Plus I've been told I can expect a Toyota truck to last for 200,000 miles. It's a rare and special kind of truck, there are probably only 5 to 10 of them in Washington state. So I might just have to keep it that long and maybe give it a make over one day. I think I'd like have it painted sparkly hot pink. Some day.

Obviously haven't been posting much. I'm not able to read posts everyday but I do try. The new studio has me working all the time, from morning until night. Training the new instructors takes up a ton of time too.

I had a surprising experience in one of my classes. It's an instructor trainee taught class, and I supervise it and jump in as her teaching assistant when she needs it. This particular instructor has a lot to juggle in her life and I think it causes her to be distracted. So she has been forgetting things in the lesson plan now and then, or giving instructions that aren't clear and leave the students confused or doing the moves wrong. Sometimes she even says "left hand" when she means right, which can also mess the students up. She's a great student, a fantastic dancer, and a dear friend. I think she's just really nervous since she never taught anything before and probably distracted by her full time job and a child and husband at home.

Anyway, I have been feeling stressed about it, like the class sort of falls apart sometimes when she teaches it. Yet when it came time for the "free style" portion at the end of the 3rd week, I got quite a surprise. These girls, in spite of some misdirection and things being left out, did an amazing just during free style time. They even attempted floorwork with their pole routine, something I rarely see level 1 students attempt before the 5th week. They were sensual, and beutiful, and even the girls who had a ton of trouble the first few weeks were dancing beautifully without any direction at all.

I'm floored.

I'm suddenly very proud of the lesson plan I've developed over the years. Girls who feel awkward or who have trouble in the beginning, can still be graceful and beautiful dancers even with a trainee instructor who messes up now and then. I feel like that means I have a really strong lesson plan that works so well, that girls can benefit and dance beautifully even if the the instructor misses or misdirects a few things. Don't get me wrong, I'll keep supervising her classes until she can teach without mistakes. But I love that I've grown something so strong that it works well even with a weak link in there sometimes.

I wouldn't mind being Little Red Riding Hood for Halloween...

It's funny, but I was just thinking that home printed signs in a business look cheap and unprofessional. Like the one I have on the main door reminding people to please use the side entrance.

Then yesterday I saw the Brother MFC-6490CW that prints on 11x17 paper. It also scans 11x17 documents. And I've been needing to replace my old HP printer with a combination scanner (which I don't have) and fax machine (which I don't have) and printer.

Add to that the fact that it's marked down from $299 to $219, and I think we have a winner!

I just found out that during the installation of my poles in my studio, the neighbor above the studio complained to the contractors. This was at 10:00am, so it's not like he was being kept awake. But he said the sound of the drilling into the ceiling (i.e. his floor) was disturbing his cats.

Now I'm all for not disturbing kitties. They are gods and they should have their comfort at all times. But the only other option would have been to stop installation and close my business...after locking myself into a two year lease. So I'm not quite sure how his cat's comfort for a couple hours should be given priority over my ability to make a living for the next two years.

So far he has complained:

1. To me, that I closed the garbage room door too loud
2. To the contractors, that their noise and vibration disturbs his cats
3. To the landlord, that quicksilver1's talking with friends woke him up and that my business was violating the lease by keeping him up (even though I was asleep and the business was closed)
4. To the landlord, that the pole use vibrates his floor and he can hear girls cheering
5. To a stranger that parked in front of his garage (for 5 minutes) to pick up a very heavy coffee table from me

Granted I didn't know the stranger had parked in front of his garage. But the neighbor got all huffy about it and rang my doorbell and knocked on the window of the car (as if that would get him inside to move it or something??).

I'm so lucky that the building owner is super cool, she told me she would just let him and his wife move out and rent the space to some one else. But I just can't believe how much he's complained, and I've only lived here 3 weeks!!

Since some students listen to my request for them to bring a yoga mat, not surprisingly they are not all bringing knee pads when I ask them to. I sent them all a very specific e-mail warning them that when it comes time to learn the sexy crawl, having knee pads can make the difference between having fun and feeling sexy or being in pain and having bruised knees. Some girls did take this seriously and went out and purchased knee pads right away. Others haven't yet.

So I found a company that makes dancer knee pads and will put anything you want across the front in pretty, pink text. So I'm ordering 20 pairs of knee pads that say "Pole Dancer" on them. I'll sell them for about $20 a pair starting in the November/December session.

This is my very first time ordering something wholesale to sell retail. Next on my list, yoga mats and stripper shoes. Better figure out how to get my resale license now!

I have not been able to read LJ or post much. I am beyond swamped. quicksilver1 leaves Thursday night. He will be in San Diego for 3 months before they ship him off for his 3rd tour of duty in Iraq (although his last tour was actually in Kuwait). I am, of course, wondering how I'm going to get by without him. It's likely I will start asking my friends to visit often. I'm pretty freaked out about the prospect of living alone for a year. I feel helpless here when I'm alone. My home will also be open to friends that need a place to crash due to emergencies or unexpected crises or just because they don't want to drive home after a night of clubbing. And I will most likely look at the possibility of adopting a cat in January, so I won't be totally alone here.

I'm beginning to see why my downstairs neighbor is so cranky. We did a sound check BEFORE signing the least to make sure sound from the studio would not disturb the couple living above the studio. But the cranky guy in that apartment complained to the manager that the poles (when being used) vibrated his place, followed by the sound of cheering women.

Lucky for me the owner of the building is super cool. She just told the couple that since they said they wanted to buy a house anyway, she would not do any kind of penalty if they wanted to move out before their lease is up. She also said she will have no problem renting the place. I asked for 1st dibs on the place if the couple moves. If I could talk her into letting me tear out a wall or two, I could make it into a second or third pole studio. But since she built this place, I don't imagine she'll let me start tearing it up. But you never know. And it might be nice renting the entire building.

On tonight's episode of "Brooke Knows Best", Brooke and her mom take a pole dance fitness class. Whenever this happens, girls that see it go to Google and look up pole classes in their own area. The last time pole dancing appeared on a reality show (Denise Richard's show), a gal booked a pole party with me after seeing it.

Some one finally figured out how bad artificial sweeters are for you. I've known this for years. I can't believe it took science 8 years to figure it out.

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=9849652&ch=4226723&src=news

As a rule, anything labeled "artifical" is probably something your body wasn't designed to digest.

This stuff is my new best friend. Okay, well...my studio's new best friend. I just spent an hour on my hands and knees in the studio using Goof Off and a rag to clean up all the stripper shoe scuffs and red toe nail polish streaks on my floor. It works great! Now if I can just figure out how to get the chemical smell off my hands (I've already washed my hands twice!).

So I just found out that my payroll service files all my quarterly reports except Washington Labor & Industries. My L&I has been unfiled for like, forever. They never bothered to tell me this. Lucky for me the penalty is only $10.

I so want to fire them. Somehow I've got to make time to shop for a new payroll service.

Apparently spats are back in style now. I love it!! I just don't know what to wear them with.

Tonight I drove out to Everett to some one's home to teach a bachelorette party exotic dance. Let me tell you, it's really REALLY hard to teach drunk women to lap dance. I keep forgetting that girls are drinking at these private home parties (because no one has to drive after). I'm so used to sober students that it takes some time to adjust to trying to teach girls that have been (and still are) drinking.

There was a funny moment when I was demonstrating the lap dance so they could watch before I taught it to all of them. One of the girls sat in the chair so I could demo on her. And when I got to the part where I strip off my shirt (I layer an extra shirt over my tank top for this), the girl in the chair decided to strip her shirt off right along with me...down to her bra! That's the first time I ever taught a lap dance where the girl getting the lap dance decided to strip with me. She got the rest of her lap dance without her shirt on. She also tried to drink during the lap dance, which I quickly put a stop to. I can't give some one a lap dance when they have a drink in their hand!

One girl had to stop half way through the party and quit, because she said the moves were making her too horny. Well now, that's a first. She also mentioned that after she finishes school, she will be getting breast augmentation surgery. One of her friends said, "Are your parents paying for it?" She said, "No, my dead grandpa is paying for it." Apparently he left her $10k in his will.

They all had a fantastic time. After the party was over I passed around a clip board with a sign up sheet so they could join my mailing list. The clipboard came back with a long list of e-mails from the girls and a $20 bill clipped to it. I'm always really surprised and touched when girls tip me. I feel very lucky to have a career where I am so appreciated.