Saturday's 18th Anniversary Bembe

[rowanf]

Exujazz_048.jpg
Originally uploaded by rowanf.

Well, I said I'd write up the Bembe but I don't really have much to say. Our House chorus rehearsals have recently changed from once a month in San Jose to twice a month, once in SJ and once in Oakland. So Friday night Chris & I made the trek to Oakland. We had a great meal at Tropix Caribbean and then went to Edoras. Somehow in the change of venue, no one had thought to mention that household includes four cats. I did my usual "oh, I'll be okay" and breathed myself into an allergy/asthma episode. *sigh* We moved outdoors and I managed to stay for most of the rehearsal but it really banjaxed my lungs.

Saturday morning Kurt & I coordinated and took my desk up to Etherius in Berkekely. Yay! The desk is gone. And Monday night I ordered an exercycle. I'm hoping to stop being such a slug.

So I headed on to the House with some trepidation. My chest was sore from the attack and I was afraid that the cigars would be bad since I was already triggered. Nine Exus took the floor and proceeded to smoke. Yep. I'm in trouble. I hang out in the always no-smoking food tent. I do not dance for Ogun or Oxossi but they have plenty of mediums on the floor. Somewhere in there some wonderful person gets the idea of setting up a fan to provide an air barrier between the floor and the food tent. And someone convinces me to use my inhaler. That makes a difference. I dance about half of Pomba's time before two Exus light cigars. Back to the food tent.

I did manage to hang in there and dance Oxumare and Brigitte. Oxumare was amazing. I haven't danced him/her in way too long. I managed Brigitte for one song. Oh! And I had an interesting experience when Ghede handed me a plastic skull. I got a hit from a spirit who said he was "The Major" and that he was an Revolutionary War Hero and an ancestor of the House. I couldn't get him to tell me how that might be, but he was very glad to be there. Okay. I seem to get random spirits who really want to be a part of us. I introduced him to a couple of people in case they want to talk to him too.

By 5pm we're not quite halfway through the xere and I'm exhausted and sore and decided that the hour drive home was about on the edge of my capacity. Mama walked me to my car and I went home and collapsed. Bah. I missed the wonderful pork and rice feast Jess was making and all the visiting and hanging out I had been looking forward to. The Orixa with whom I interacted were all concerned about me. Omolu and Oko in particular sent me energy which helped me stay as long as I did.

Note to self - yes, you really are severely allergic to cats. It doesn't matter that you love them. DO NOT HANG OUT WHERE MULTIPLE CATS LIVE!!!! Esp. when inhaling to sing with nice deep breaths.

Comments

[pearlshadow.livejournal.com]

i have a distant relative who was a hero of the revolutionary war and if i am understanding the records possibly one of the signers of the declaration of independance.

however his ending rank was colonel not "major" does that "help" at all?

[rowanf.livejournal.com]

Thanks Mama. I have no idea who the Major is, but every datapoint helps. Maybe he'll drop some more info further down the line.

[rubibees.livejournal.com]

Neat that another ancestor showed up, esp since that has been something you are trying to facilitate for the House. And congrats on ordering the exercycle--hooray for being healthy! Which desk are you talking about--the one in the room with Russell's computer?

[rowanf.livejournal.com]

The giant desk in the back room with the big computer. The desk is gone and I'm taking the big computer up to the URI tomorrow for donation. Yay.

Yeah, it is cool. Sometimes getting so easily chatted up by random spirits disconcerts me. Well, maybe random is the wrong word. But I was just sitting there and Ghede came up and said I looked lonely and handed me the skull and I'm suddenly talking to the Major. Weird.

Oh, dear.

[hereatwitsend.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry to hear that. 1) Because you felt so bad and 2) Because it means you can't come up and stay with us. Rats.

By the way, I am using advair now, which makes a huge difference. I'm pretty much off the inhalers entirely.

Feel better,

love,

d.

Re: Oh, dear.

[rowanf.livejournal.com]

Since cigarettes mostly went away I have been downgraded from having asthma to having "irritable lung disease". But every once in awhile I get reminded how it used to be.. and cats are my main trigger. Russell and I *really* miss living with companion animals but I need to breathe. *sigh*

Re: Oh, dear.

[hereatwitsend.livejournal.com]

Pesky breathing thing...

I know how you feel. I am slightly nuts for having so many animals with asthma. So far, it is under control.

A hepa filter also helps. I spend more time indoors in the winter now, since we live in the Pacific Northwest and I am becoming a fanatic about indoor health. We will be cleaning all of our filters and ducts in the fall.

*hugs*

D.

Allergic To Katz?!?

[(Anonymous)]

O! Now I get why lots of witchy houses make you catch your breath!

I imagined it was the energy, but it was the Katz!

Pitch
a LOLKatz Kraft Person