June 27, 2010
Another Dream Realized! Trish and I are now BOTH certified Laughter Yoga Leaders!
Menu of services to be updated soon… our first clients will be the residents of Evergreen Nursing and Rehab.
A Truly Qualified Group of Laughter Yoga Leaders! Certificated on June 27th by Andrea Crisp (Left in pink) of Portland Laughter Yoga.
A variety of Laughs: Lion Laugh, Martian Laugh, Cell Phone Laugh, Namaste Greeting Laugh, Bite your Thumb Laugh
Now there are FOUR Certified Laughter Yoga Leaders in Olympia: Jusby, Trish, Lightbear and Miss Kate.
We will be serving collectively and autonomously to bring a greater volume and frequency of healthy laughter to the Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and greater Thurston county area!!!
Very Good, Very Good, YAY!!!
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Posted by Jusby the Clown
October 10, 2009
“I can’t believe there’s so many people juggling!” ~ Orion
and unicycling… I took three unicycling workshops to get about 2 hours of practice in.
Juggling 7 Balls is pretty common in here.
I dropped Orion off for a play date on Saturday, and went back for more.
While we’re practicing baton twirling, one guy practices balancing on a chain.
The Juggling and Vaudeville Extravaganza Public Show on Saturday night at Benson High School. Once the show started, no flash photos were allowed.
It was the best show ever! National and World Champion jugglers, unicyclists, foot baggers!
I went back on Sunday while Oma took Orion to see “Cloudy with A Chance of Meatballs”. There was a fire alarm that sent folks outside.
Juggling 5 pins was pretty common too.
This is a happy, sweaty Jusby with his unicycle, surviving hours of practice.
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Posted by Jusby the Clown
June 26, 2009
Taking a shot. Getting shoes tied by coach while the game goes on!
Teamwork!
Team huddle.
Taking the ball!
Whoot! Whoo-hoo!
Got IT!
And it’s gone again! Oh, Well!
Orion got an award for “Most Determined!”
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Posted by Jusby the Clown
June 24, 2009
After his first time at Skateland
Funny how those things get out from underneath you suddenly.
We spent nearly the full two hours there and worked up quite a sweat. I tried to figure out the angle on being a skating clown at a birthday. They’ve got birthday packages and a room to the side. I certainly wouldn’t want to have my make-up start melting. I guess it would call for the Clown Lite look. And lots of falling and more and more pads get added on!
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Posted by Jusby the Clown
June 23, 2009
Orion is playing his third straight season of pee wee soccer with the Buzzies!
and most of the kids can now remember which way they are supposed to kick the ball… however, some just get in the zone and kick it whichever way the green lies!
One more practice tonight at Bigelow Park and one more game on Friday at Roosevelt.
I hate to miss the practice, but I’m scheduled to attend Matt’s “Dream Job Workshop” at the Olympia Center!
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Posted by Jusby the Clown
March 13, 2009
The beautiful big room at Waldorf. It might have stayed empty on a Friday night, but for a few intrepid and industrious souls who insisted that this workshop happen. Firstly, Eve (pronounced ‘ev’ cuz she’s French-Canadian), decided that she would fly up from San Francisco just to take the class!
I told Dawn that I would publicize the heck out of it, but it didn’t actually spur anyone to contact her directly. On Wednesday, Dawn called after sending out an e-mail that it would be her last workshop in Olympia.
She’s planning on splitting her time between British Columbia and Switzerland. She’s also planning on taking an old bus to Burning Man and possibly the Yukon!
She asked me to look into some of the legal issues around insuring a former King County City Bus. I went willingly down the rabbit hole and found that it is definitely better to convert it into a House-Bus than leave the 22 seats in.
On Friday afternoon (around 5:15) I got a call from Bubble~Trouble. She was wondering what to eat and wear before the class. She was starting to peel potatoes for soup. I told her, “No way! You don’t have time for that. It starts at 6!”
I arrived and found Jona waiting outside the locked building. She’d accepted a personal invitation from Dawn just 45 minutes prior. Then Dawn pulled up with Eve AND Heather. It was like a clown car, spilling forth with clowns, costumes, and props.
My mood lifted enormously. I was ecstatic to be part of this epic final workshop.
Then Heidi arrived and we all started playing. After about an hour we were exhausted and meditating when Dawn went over to open a windown and saw someone else arriving.
It wasn’t Bubble~Trouble at all, but Pauline.
Eventually, we all got to do the sheet exercise.
It was full of epiphanies and catharses, empty nests and crones, inflated supermen and bits of fluff. But no potato soup.
Maybe it’s in the crock pot, and she’ll bring it tomorrow.
Heather, Eve, Pauline, Dawn and Jona (not pictured: Heidi)
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Posted by Jusby the Clown
February 26, 2009
Last Sunday we went down to Johansen School of Ballet for our class with Miss Indigo Blue, headmistress of the Seattle Academy of Burlesque. The 90 minute introductory class was “The Art of the Tease”. We were to learn some glove and feather boa techniques, but we got so much more out of it. I want to take the 6 week class, Burlesque 101. I’m sure my life would never be the same.
See also this trailer for “A Wink and A Smile”
She started the class with introductions. There were twelve of us. I was the only man. Most of the women had found the class through another dance community either belly dancing or pole pilates. I’d found it because Puck (from the Mentor Carnival) had posted it on Olyblog.
Miss Blue then told us how she arrived in the world of burlesque. In high school she had been “the tease” which earned her a worse reputation than “the slut”. She had then spent four years stripping at the Lusty Lady.
In 2001 she went to New Orleans for the first Tease-O-Rama Burlesque convention. Although she was too late to sign up as a performer, she later considered it lucky that she was able to give her complete attention to watching all the other artists. She found that she had been part of a much larger community than she had realized.
As we got into the practical exercises I knew we would be learning from a great talent.
She started us with the major orifices: the EYES and the MOUTH.
We paired up and practiced alternating between an agressive gaze and a receptive gaze. Something like “I want you” and “Come hither”. It was very powerful stuff. We learned that confidence is sexy, and that burlesque is basically creating an illusion of intimacy.
We went on to practice removing gloves. I brought my own fraying fingerless clown gloves and worked on a gag of biting my finger, and gagging and getting the frayed end stuck in my teeth.
We also worked with feather boas. I thought I might try using my tie, but it was really too short for the job and not at all fluffy. Perhaps I could use the technique with a series of knotted silk scarves.
The idea of a burlesque clown is not new, but it’s transforming my image of a market niche. I’m getting lots of ideas for fans and pies.
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Posted by Jusby the Clown
January 11, 2009
In August we got to visit with Uncle Stephen who came to Portland for a Master Swim meet. We met up with him on a Sunday just after he completed his last heat, a 200m Butterfly.
Then we met his girlfriend, Jennifer, for the first time, and we all rendez-vous’d with Oma Barbara at the Edgefield Mcmenamin’s for lunch.
Stephen and his g/f Jennifer at the Edgefield
Steve and I getting into character.
Here’s Steve’s acting portfolio ~ http://www.onetalentsource.com/portfolio/722/
Today I noticed that he’s joined facebook!
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Posted by Jusby the Clown
December 25, 2008
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Posted by Jusby the Clown
November 24, 2008
Right after Halloween we had a visit from mom and aunt Tia.
We took them to Rusty Cock Ridge, and they had their portraits taken, together and separately. Jerome had mom tie up Tia and whip her. He had Tia brandish a chainsaw at mom. He wrapped them both in the flag. Ya know, goofy stuff. It’ll be good for their e-harmony profiles.
On the last day, Trish got the call to go help a baby be born. I took the day off. Tia, Orion and I went to the Glow Golf at the mall.
I’d been thinking of pitching a Jusby does Glow Golf idea to Shankz, but they weren’t even open on Monday. The facility in the mall seemed much more relaxed and less expensive ($8 adults, $3 for Orion). Occupying the front half of the old Mervyn’s, the staff spent most of their time with some kind of on-line game.
I’d inherited a set of golf clubs when helping a friend move, and talked over some bits with Sage on his visit (“Twist one like a pretzle!” he said”), but I hadn’t fully developed the idea. I was inspired, in part, by WC Fields in The Golf Specialist.
But Happy Gilmore has good material too!
I should also queue up Caddyshack too!
First step to pitching idea: go play a round as a regular person!
I learned that the lighting is pretty tricky, so I’ll have to ask a professional photographer to come when Jusby’s there. Or at least someone with more mega-pixels. Or maybe video. A white suit and white make-up would show up well. Maybe a glow necklace and bracelets. Maybe the utili-kilt and pom-pom beret. The Scottish invented golf, you know.
Orion with the Octopus
Orion and the treasure chest.
On the 18th Hole, Tia won a coupon for a free game which she sweetened with two others so that we could come back again. We played on for another 18 holes and ran into a family who had just moved from Virginia, coincidentally near Tia’s house. The husband got transfered to Ft. Lewis and was heading “Back to the Desert”.
“I’m sorry that Daddy can’t be at your birthday, honey-bunny, but you can beat Jusby the clown at Glow Golf instead!”
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Posted by Jusby the Clown
September 16, 2008
Again, Michigan summers are hot. Hotter than Washington summers. And muggy with mosquitoes. Timing our outdoor excursions properly was everything.
One morning we got an early start by paying a visit to Dad’s neighbors, Judy and Safu. They have a modest in-ground pool. Although they had guests from England visiting and everyone was still waking up around 10 AM, they let us use their pool.
It also has a modest diving board.
Orion and I swam for an hour or so, and then the English guests came out to swim and bask. The two adults basked. The two kids swam.
Safu stopped by and invited us to help ourselves to beverages in the fridge. Once Orion got a shot of that Root Beer he was good to go for another few hours. Although he said he was scared of the diving board, the young lad from the UK said, “It’s fun really.”
And that was good enough for Orion. He dove into 9 feet of water, exhilarated and carbonated! We stayed until nap time. I was quite sunburned. Orion had bronzed.
A few days later…
we drove to Ann Arbor to use the Huron Valley Swim Club. I had learned to swim there during my summer vacations. Aunt Mary Catherine told us that they were still members, so I planned to sign in as ‘Paul Wright’.
It took us a number of trips and web research to find the place. The last time I’d been there had been in the early 90s when I rode my bike there from Granny’s house.
Granny’s house nowadays
It was a Sunday when we finally knew where to go. It’s a hard switchback down a gravel road, so it was easy to miss coming from the opposite direction. En route, in the Camry the radio just happened to be tuned to WEMU and I heard the voice of my old friend, Arwulf Arwulf. It was his show The Sunday Best! So I pulled over and called in to the station. He was happy to hear from me, encouraged me to check his playlists, promised to respond to e-mails, and while he was otherwise engaged that afternoon he mentioned us on the air.
“You might go swimming today, like Justin and his son are doing”
[I once had to explain to the A2 Fire Department a huge bonfire I'd built in Arwulf's backyard to clear dead wood away]
We arrived at the HVSC and I noticed that they’d upgraded the entryway with a computer and what looked like a bar code scanner. Momentary panic as I realized I didn’t have a digital membership card. However, I knew the route, and I quickly saw an ordinary pen and paper sign-in sheet, so I wrote simple “Wright” and walked around the high school boy who was watching the door.
We showered and went in.
Orion decided to go up the high dive. At the top he started to have second thoughts, but an older boy at the bottom said, “It’s fun,” and I swam out to the middle in case he needed me. He jumped off into 14 feet of water, but it hurt his belly. From then on he stuck with the low dive.
Feeling the fear and…
doing it anyway!
Emerging victoriously!
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Posted by Jusby the Clown
June 8, 2008
Maybe I’ll redate this later, but things recently have put me in the mood to thank my lucky stars… or lucky charms… or trix or kix… or… the mercy of the cosmic giggle. *amen*
As April approached we had to look back as well. It was tax season. Since we were OWED money, we were not bound by the April 15th rule. Nevertheless, we looked back at 2007… and looked for deductions for several weeks until we actually filed with Joe Tax.
Then we began to look ahead to the return. Hmm, a turn he tot re-head… *phew~dizzy* Then we got the check.
Then we split it and spent it. Mine was converted to gold dollar coins.
and some small change.
Incredible shrinking dollar. Never underestimate the power of good cents.
To review and preview:
- In January of 2007 I took the Enterprise for Equity Business Readiness workshop. Now I’m poised to take the first ever E4E Summer Intensive, beginning in eight days.
- I was also switched from a substitute to a permanent employee with a retroactive pay raise. I was switched schools in March of 08. I’ve been informed of my ‘reasonable assurance’ of a position in fall.
- I took Paula Biggio’s workshop courtesy of the Big Foot Clown Alley and RNB’s Bobo Scholarship.
- I began serving coffee at the Oly UU. We signed the church book later that year. Trish joined the choir in 08. Orion attended Spirit Play. We all connected with friends and opportunities through the congregation.
- We paid many visits to Rusty Cock Ridge in 07-08, widening their circle of friends with our own.
- I had multiple clown bikes, and it’s time for a new one!
- Delivered my 1st pie on 4.1.07. I’ve delivered 24 in 08!
- Orion played his first team sport: soccer! And he agreed to do it again in 08!
- We went to Sasquatch Fest. Augh. We missed Bjork. We missed Mirah. We missed the Blow. We did stop at Dick and Jane’s spot and Roslyn.
- Trish went to the AMTA conventions.
- I got to go on a field trip to NW Trek for the first time.
- I got to work as a recovering Mad Scientist aka J.B.W.I., Justin Barnabas Wright, Inventor for Camp Invention, a week long experience leading a classroom of junior forensic scientists and inventors. Now I’m poised to sacrifice a 2nd time in order that I can take the E4E training.
- We went to Sherwood forest for the first time, and this time we may stay over the weekend of the 4th (missing two parades!).
- I attended my official 20th High School reunion, AND facilitated a kid-friendly BBQ the following day. Now mom’s yard needs emergency assistance again, and I’ve got to get money to Tony Bracco!
- I spent many hours with master gardener, Marci Sunshine, working her yard and painting her garage.
- I took a Sacred Clowning workshop in 07 and one in 08.
- I took a whole slew of autism workshops.
- We finally had a garage sale. We still need to purge and trade!
- We were visited by relatives from afar. Relatively, a farther.
- Jusby celebrated a lot of birthdays. At my new school a girl came up who recognized me from a party for her friend. She was a twin. She and her sister kept cutting in line, stepping on my lines, getting in my grill in other words. When it was face-painting time I gave them special treatment. When she saw me again in the classroom she asked,
“Why did you paint a C on my forehead?”
I replied, “Did I paint a D on your sister’s forehead?”
“Yes!”
“To tell you apart, of course!”
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Posted by Jusby the Clown
May 30, 2008
After many years of meaning-to, I finally went to a meeting of the Evergreen Juggling Club!
On Thursday Trish had an out-call, way down Cooper Point, so she dropped Orion and I off at Red Square.
On route to the library building we spied someone with a bag of clubs. I asked where and when they were meeting. 6 pm on the grass.
We walked staircases and rode elevators until then. We walked down to the 1st floor of the library and took the elevator to the 4th, 3rd and 2nd floors. We walked down to the 1st floor of the library and took the elevator to the basement and 2nd floors, then we walked up to the 3rd floor and back down again.
We saw Uncle Luke and his partial roommate Duckhugger. We ate veggie chicken nuggets with goddess dressing, salad (without a fork) with goddess dressing, grapes (a la carte), and saved the rice cakes for later.
Then we joined the jugglers already in progress. Although we tried various equipment (diablo, devil sticks, balls, clubs, cigar boxes, etc), we spent the majority of the 90 minutes with five brightly colored rings.
I’m so getting rings in the act. Oh, man.
There were about a dozen jugglers there, and they will apparently organize into some sort of ‘circus’ on Super Saturday.
Our plan is for Trish to massage in the morning, and Jusby to appear in the afternoon. Hope I have my cards ready by then.
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Posted by Jusby the Clown
