Oh, The Glamourous Life!

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!

Find an accountability partner.

There are so many distractions in life and it seems like there are always things getting in the way of just getting stuff done. One way to focus is find someone who has similar goals and work together to achieve them. I don’t necessarily mean collaborate, but create an environment where you all can get stuff done, a little at a time.

To illustrate, earlier this week Christina Manuge held an on-line quiet sewing hour for her Patrons where all the participants logged into Zoom, spoke briefly about what projects they were working on, and then muted themselves and, if they liked, turned off their cameras. Just knowing that there were other people working away, kept me on task and I got a lot done in the allotted time.

It doesn’t have to be something you do at the same time as your partner. If you both set the goal of going to the gym three times a week, you can set your own schedule and then check in with each other and compare progress. Commiserate one another if you hit a snag and congratulate each other for hitting your goals.

Support each other and we all benefit.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 20 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Have a tip!

For a strong and shapely rear, exercise all parts of your butt.

The biggest muscle is the gluteus maximus. That’s the one we all know. It’s worked when your leg moves out behind you, like back leg lifts, but also squats and deadlifts.

However, you also want to work your gluteus medius, which is the one at the corner of your seat. Exercises that bring your leg out to the side, like side leg lifts or the ignominious “dog peeing on a fire hydrant”, work this area.

Technically not part of your glutes, your hamstrings deserve some love. Having them toned and strong lifts up your bum. Moves with your knees bent, like trying to kick your own butt, target hamstrings.

A series I like is bridges, keeping your shoulders and upper back pressed into the floor and raising just your hips. Start with your feet close together, then bring them to hip width, raise one leg to tabletop, then the other, finish with your feet out wide. That should hit everything.

This tip brought to you by my aching hamstrings from yesterday’s barre class.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 20 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Dear Constant Reader,

Last week was very busy. I taught 3 classes, performed in 3 shows, and the troupe had our annual holiday celebration. So, of course I spent this week sick in bed. Lost my voice and everything. I was feeling well enough to celebrate my birthday yesterday, but I’m still pretty exhausted, coughing, and raspy.

I know I have given you tips over the years to rest, take care of your heath, &c., but I don’t feel like hunting through over 700 tips to make sure I’m not duplicating one. Please forgive me if I’ve said this before.

Schedule some rest breaks in your busy schedule. 

Otherwise your body may schedule them for you at a less than convenient time.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 20 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! And happy Valentine’s Day Eve! We just performed a Galentine’s Day show in Salem, NH last night (Patrons will get an amusing story about it) and will be in Salem, MA tomorrow. I hope you have your tickets because the early show is sold out and the late show is heading that way.

Here’s your tip!

In burlesque you can be anyone you want to be. How about being yourself?

By which I don’t mean be your ordinary, everyday self; do be your larger-than-life, fabulous self.

However, if you are going choose some character, whether fictional or a real person, on which to base an act and spend a lot of time, effort, and money making it a signature of yours, remember that the act is now tied to the fortunes of that character. If its popularity wanes or if public opinion changes, you could be out of luck. Just ask anyone who has a Harry Potter number.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Dear Constant Reader,

Greetings on a frigid Friday! I can hear the wind howling outside my window as I write this and I hope you are all staying warm, especially those of you in places less accustomed to this level of cold. We had a lot of snow dumped on Boston last week and that inspired this tip, which is for everyone, not just my usual audience of burlesquers.

Clear the sidewalk.

I know shoveling snow is a pain in the ass, but it needs to be done. It makes you a good member of your community. Want to be a better one? Offer to do it for someone who might not be able to do it themself. Make sure curb cuts are accessible and fire hydrants are unburied.

If your landlord is supposed to handle snow removal, that’s great, but do make they take care of it promptly.

I’ve seen people who clean a narrow path from their front door to their car. Not okay. Or the folks who technically clear in front of their house, but leave a big pile between their place and the one next door. Really? Think of other people.

You never know when some poor performer is going to be lugging their suitcase to the venue and face an impassable stretch of snow*. Don’t be the one they cuss out.

*This is not me speaking from experience, but I can totally envision it.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 18 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.