Another massage day was wonderful for me and my customers. I did crazy amounts of massage again and have another day of it tomorrow. My hand is holding up well. I have discovered that if I run it under very cold water when it starts hurting that helps.
I am thinking about getting my own massage chair to take to office sites, festivals, etc. It is a really great way to earn money in wonderful environments.
In other news... sadly, the website isn't happening yet. I didn't get finished the content in time and Derek had other things to do today. Hopefully it will be up sometime this week... Sorry for those of you who were looking forward to it. Soon my pets, soon.
I think I'm going to get a reasonably early night tonight. Hope all is well in your world. Sweet dreams!

(Picture of Derek's camping van)



Ahhh... So far, a morning with no chaos! It is a beautiful, sunny day and I am looking forward to day 2 of 4 of chair massage today. Yesterday was REALLY busy at the store. I did three and a half hours of chair massage over a five hour period (which seems spaced out but really isn't). I had a great time with all of my customers and used good techniques so that my thumb is only mildly aching this morning (which it has been doing every morning anyways).

Both vehicals are up and happily running and giving us noooo problems. Derek is probably going to be cleaning the van up today (and we might be selling it so if you know anyone dying to buy a sweet looking brown with tan stripes '81 Chevy Van decked out with a convertable couch/bed built into the back, installed inverter and lights, with brown velvet interior and a really sweet set of speakers let me know - picture above). I have been bemoaning the fact that I don't like driving the van in the city (too big and hard to park). Derek loves the van but is beginning to realize that if he ever wants to drive his cute little Miata again he will need to distract me with a vehical I am more likely to drive.

For better or worse, the updated (more useful) website should be live tonight with CONTENT of all things! (gasp) Feedback on it is GREATLY appreciated! As soon as I get some new recordings done with voice and harp I will be adding clips both to the website and to my blogspot profile (seeing as the ones up now are from 2000 and my voice and style have changed a fair amount after six years, three spent studying opera and classical repertoire).
If the weather is good on Tuesday keep a look out for my busking times here on my blog if you are interested in coming down to see me.

Enjoy the gorgeous day! :)

So, for those of you who laughed at my post from last night about me draining the car battery...
Derek and I decided we would get up early this morning and take our '81 Chevy van over to jump start the car (we also have a small portable jump-starter). So I get ready for work while Derek waits for me. I finally say that I am ready and he goes out to start the van... and the van's battery is dead... GAHHH!
And the really funny thing is that I can't do anything but laugh about the situation. I really like the concept of karma. I interpret it in reverse though... anytime something bad happens I assume it means that something great is coming up (and it usually is).
Anyhow... gotta run... looks like the van just ain't gonna start this morning...

<--(Fuzzy Picture of me, on the left, in my pretty green fighting garb about three or four years ago). I have been thinking about getting back into rapier again lately. For about six years I studied swordfighting the the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) and then went back to university (which, or course, sucked up all my time). Having been away from the sword for the past four years I am WOEFULLY out of practice. I really want to go back to it but every time I start again I get over-excited and tend to overdo it physically so that I can barely sit down the next day from muscle ache. The other thing I need to deal with is finding a goal. For the longest time I was striving to become a "White Scarf" in the SCA (basically an order that recognises its members as excellent in the field of rapier combat as well as being contributors in other ways such as: teaching, research, etc.). Now I am unsure what my goals with rapier are. Do I want to be able to beat 50% of all the people I fight? Do I want to be able to teach? Do I want to be someone who institutes new methods and resurrects old ones? I will ponder this for a while. Any thoughts you may have had about motivation would be appreciated. Have a great day!

Sigh... I am so silly! I have given Derek a hard time for leaving the headlights on in the van and draining the battery before and now it is time to eat my words. Not only did I leave the headlights on, but I did so with a vehical that has FLIP UP headlights (not that easy to ignore). Anyhow... we are going to go jump start the car in the morning... in the meantime... I feel kinda dumb. :P

Today being the gorgeous day that it is I am going to be running around outside catching up on those millions of little chores that have been building up. Should be great to get out in the sunshine. I thought it would be nice to take my harp outside and take a picture to show what a lovely day it is!--->

I will be going down to Granville Island and picking up my busking license today so that by next week I will be out there singing my heart out once more. Again, for anyone interested in coming out to see me busk next week I will be posting the place and (approximate) time of performance HERE in the morning before I head out.

Good news about my website... at long last it should be up and running after this weekend (with CONTENT and everything... if I get it all done today that is... :) Many MANY thanks to Derek for ALL his help in doing that crazy computer stuff that needs doing!!! If anyone has any material (photos, comments, etc.) that they would like posted on the website there will either be a link for that or else you can e-mail me directly at: contactme@saraquist.com

After last weekend (doing chair massage with BAD technique) I ended up with an inflamed tendon (at least that is what I think it is) running the length of my forearm and into my thumb. It has been very frustrating not being able to practice harp this week. It is still quite stiff but I am hoping the doctor will be able to help me fix it up (especially because I will be doing four days of massage in the next week). But I think I have learned my lesson about which parts of my hand I should NOT be using excessively now. With any luck there won't be a recurrance of this injury.

My next CD will be coming out sometime in August or September (if all goes well) and should be available for everyone waaaaay before the Christmas/holiday season. The title is going to be Celtic Angel and I have yet to figure out where it will be available but it will DEFINITELY be available for online ordering and (most likely) purchasable download (not sure which site I am going to sell through yet though).

For those of you who haven't yet had the opportunity please feel free to fill out the marketing questionnaire in the previous post... the information will REALLY will help me with speedy production of my new CD. Thank you to those who have already filled it out and sent it back to me.

I hope that everyone is getting a chance to enjoy some sunshine today... I know I will be! :)

As many of you may know I am starting my own production company right now aimed at producing my own folk/celtic music (and, in time, music of other young musicians). To that end I have created a marketing questionnaire to find out more about the people who listen to my music and what they want to hear on my next album. If you would like to take the time to fill this out I would be ever so thankful (just copy and paste the questionnaire text into an e-mail, enter your answers and then send it to me). Feel free to answer only what you feel comfortable answering. At the end of the questionnaire please e-mail me at: contactme@saraquist.com As a "thank you" for filling this out and helping me, I will send you an electronic "buy one, get one free" coupon for my next CD with a unique id number that will be tracked. Please be assured that any and ALL information you send to me will be held in strictest confidentiality and will not be shared, sold or in any other way distributed to anyone else. Thank you for helping me out with this.
For sound samples and further information please visit my website at: www.saraquist.com
PERSONAL INFORMATION (for marketing purposes only)
Name:
Address:
Phone number:
E-mail:
May we contact you with updates periodically?
Age Range: 0-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65+
Highest Level of Education Completed: Elementary, High School, Post-Secondary
Occupation:
Salary Range: $0 - $24 999, $25 000 - $49 999, $50 000 - $99 999, $100 000+
What are your hobbies and interests?
Would you like to be on our e-mailing list? (If so please be sure to include your e-mail address)
GENERAL INFORMATION
How did you find out about Sara and/or her music?
Which radio stations do you listen to (and what type of station is it; i.e. Pop/Rock, Classical, Talk, etc)?
What is your favorite genre(s) of music? (i.e. Jazz, Folk/Roots, Classical, etc.)
What are your top 5 favorite songs in that/those genre(s):
What are your top 5 favorite songs of all time?
Who is your favorite musical group/performer?
How many CDs/downloads/etc. did you purchase in the last year?
Which format(s) do you prefer your music in? (i.e. CD, MP3, etc.)
Do you prefer to download music by the song or by the album?
Where do you want to be able to purchase Sara's music from?
What 3 songs do you want to hear on Sara's next album?
Do you have any further comments or suggestions?

A picture of my big baby harp...

In two weeks I will be travelling with Derek, Dorothy and Jessica down to Washington for the 40th anniversary of the SCA. It will be the first camping event of the summer and should be absolutely beautiful. The event site is at: http://www.40yearcelebration.com/
for those interested.
If any of you have not yet met Derek I have added a picture of him and I here (taken last year).
I have been having the urge to start working on some new SCA garb/costumes for gigs lately (I think it is some kind of strange spring fever) and think that the next new outfit will likely be a red velvet bodice and red silk skirt (which I originally planned to make for a Valentine's Day gig but will look nice at pretty much any time of year).
A friend of mine has been in the hospital for the past several days and when I visited seemed to be recovering well from an emergency operation. Nonetheless, it is still hard to see a friend having to go through that sort of thing. I only hope that he is up and about again as soon as possible. I am so greatful that the problem was caught in time and that he is doing well again.
As of next week I will be going down to Granville Island to start busking again on sunny days when I am in town and not doing chair massage. I am very excited to be going back to performing in this way again. Somehow it is very freeing to just be in a place making beautiful music for those who appreciate it.
Thank you to all of you who have been supporting my music career all this time. I don't think I will ever be able to tell you how much the words of encouragement and experience have helped me ESPECIALLY in the last year or two. More than that I have to thank you for believing in me all this time.

Big thanks to all my family, friends and fans wherever you may be!

Lots of love...

For any of you who are currently having aches and pains in your back and neck, I will be doing chair massage at Saje on W. 4th (between Vine and Yew) in Kitsilano this Saturday, Sunday and Monday (April 29, 30 and May 1). The price is $1.00 per minute and you may become highly addicted. For those of you who do, my normal day at the W. 4th store is Sundays.

As a first time Blogger I am just getting the feel for this but I think that it will be a good way for friends, family and fans to keep up with what I happening in my life.
I have been working in an aromatherapy store for the past several months as Assistant Manager and have finally decided to re-focus my energies back on my music. In the time I was working there I also had the opportunity to start doing chair massage and discovered that I really enjoyed it (especially as a "bread and butter" activity while I am being a "starving artist").
Derek and I have been mostly hanging out at home lately but made a trip to visit his family in Kelowna for Easter. We have plans to travel to Williams Lake this summer for a big family gathering and to get far from the madding crowds.
I will be starting up busking again this summer at Granville Island and in Victoria when I am over there so anyone who wants to find out when I will be at a location, stay tuned to this Blog and I will post where and when I will be daily.
My website is still under construction but closer than every before to being useful. For those interested the link is: http://www.saraquist.com

Sexy new blog photo: