Well, I got some surprise visitors. Welcome, Patrick. I'm flattered to have such a perceptive (and illustrious) visitor. And Shaun - in answer to your original (search) question, SiteMeter shows greater than "0:00" as the length of a visit only when the visitor leaves by clicking on something on your page, because SiteMeter can "see" that. If the visitor left by going to a bookmarked site, or hitting "Back", or entering a URL in the browser "go to" bar, SiteMeter has no opportunity to calculate the time because that click is invisible to SiteMeter.
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FirstWoman and I had a very good time last night. I got home about 3:30 am.
I had to leave the house a little after 7 pm to be there by 8, and I didn't even think about what I would wear until 4. I have absolutely nothing that even approaches "American festive" or cocktail wear, not even a "little black dress". Small panic. But then I remembered that I'd bought a very good close-fitting Assuit dress at Rakkasah last October. I hemmed it right quick, and located a long black lycra dress to wear under it, and with big silver hoop earrings, silver bangle bracelets, and high-heeled sandals, I was ready to go. It was a very good choice. Got a lot of compliments on it. (More on Assuit below.)
The band was terrific. They played all the OLD Rolling Stones hits, and I actually got up and danced! You have to know me to know how extraordinary that is. I define shy and self-conscious. At one point FirstWoman and I were sitting across the table from each other, and she said "You know, I feel like I'm in the presence of a lady." I raised eyebrows, and she explained that I have "that air" about me. I laughed and told her that she is total Free Spirit, and that probably meant we could be very good for each other. She grinned.
I think I'm right. I danced! In public! I might even do it again sometime. (Several women told me that they enjoyed watching me. I guess I have graceful arms. One woman, a complete stranger, said as she left, "Good night, Beautiful. Happy New Year." What a boost! I can't stop burbling.)
Daughter and Hercules were up this way for a party (about an hour south), and had stayed over, so she called about 2 pm this afternoon, and we met partway between for late lunch/early dinner. Luckily, Daughter remembered that we needed to eat sauerkraut for luck. I've heard that this custom, sauerkraut on New Year's Day, is German and/or Polish, but my mother was pure Welsh, and she insisted on it, too, so it's probably widespread. I didn't have sauerkraut last year for the first time ever, and look what happened in 2006. Ok, Mom, now I believe. So, anyway, we had a small side dish which we shared.
Actually, now that I think about it, 2006 wasn't all that bad. Except for Roman's breaking my heart, and the roof leaking into the kitchen, and the van's computer faking everyone out for six months and a few thousand dollars, everything else was pretty good. Very good, even. Daughter got married, Sister and I reconnected, my woods got cleared for free, I made some new friends, got involved with some community activities, lost a few more pounds, ... and I didn't even have to eat sauerkraut for all that.
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Assuit: Assuit is a city in Egypt, on the Nile, I believe. Assuit fabric is a cotton or cotton/silk see-through net (usually black) with bits of metal attached to the net. They cut small elongated diamonds of thin metal, fold them over the mesh net so the ends cross on the back, then they hammer them until they're smooth and tight. The metal is applied to the dress or shawl in fancy geometric patterns.
You can buy an inexpensive Assuit dress for less than $100. A good one is several times that. The cheap ones are stiff, the metal is too soft and will start to come loose and will scratch inside, and it tarnishes quickly. I bought a cheap one a few years ago just to try it out.
The higher quality ones are very soft net, fit better, and use a higher quality metal. The one I bought last October is a very good one. The quality is directly proportional to the cost.
The best ones flow softly, and the metal is real silver, pounded ultra-thin. Rather rare, and a bit heavy for normal wear.
The above is an Assuit coverup, for sale at salomestent.com.
Above is a loose Assuit caftan, available by special order from ekenoz.com. This one appears to be lined. I am seriously considering ordering one from them (unlined), custom sized, so I don't have to cut any of the design off to tailor it to me.
Mine is semi-fitted, with a very wide and deep V opening in front (closeable with a hook and eye at the top) down to below bra band level, and wide sleeves like the top photo. For bellydance, you'd wear it over a decorated silver bra and a straight skirt, with a matching scarf around the hips. For "going out", they look nice over a body suit or sleeveless lycra dress. I think next time I wear it, I'll try for a turquoise or pale green underdress.
This is a scan of a bit of the hem I had to cut off my dress:
An enlargement, showing the metal bits and how they're attached:
It's all done by hand.
I like being different.
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