Good Friends

I once told the fellow sitting on the right, "I am the original Yoda." It was a moment of inexplicable silliness - one that garnered much ridicule, and rightfully so. We were sitting outside on one of the first warm days of Spring, discussing the vital issues of the day. Simultaneously the subject turned to both the horse farm that I lived on and the characters in the original Star Wars trilogy.

I often compare Eddy Farm, a riding school in Vermont to the Degoba System. Both were very much brimming with life, each environment surfeited by insects and leafy things. Much like the Degoba System, Eddy Farm was none too refined during the time that I spent there. It was lush, and there were bugs chirping every minute of every hour. Doris Eddy, the owner of the farm had big bulbous bumps on her head, she was balding a little bit, and all of the joints in her body were gnarled from years of heavy labor; riding horses, hauling bales of hay, and putting water into over trough.

In retrospect, I was much more like Luke Skywalker than Yoda. Doris Eddy was the Yoda of the farm. She taught me about respect for living things. She pointed out that you can't just mope around, consumed by your own feelings. She taught me that when one is self-absorbed - one runs the risk of forgetting how we make others feel. She taught me that lesson by shouting at me, "You can just drop dead!" after I insulted her once. And then she slammed a door in my face.

As my friend Jon here pointed out, "It took a lot of brass, a lot of moxy to make that claim. But hey, "You're Erzsi, you can make that claim and get away with it." I think that's because my father was a world class fencer? I don't know. And I certainly don't know why I said that, looking back. During that point in my life I was much more of a student than a teacher. But something in me, blurted it out. To blurt is human, to laugh about it is more fun than taking ourselves too seriously.

Now, I teach people how to exercise and eat right, how to use the force. But of course, we're talking kinetic force - my clients and me. Still, I can't help but think that when a conversation has a little bit of that learning process deeply imbued into it, that conversation is a lot more fun. Use the force, Luke. Use the force.

Exterior Signage at Pongo Power

Is it wrong to love my exterior signs as much as I do? When it comes to exterior signs - no, I don't mean my smile, or the twinkle in my eye when I'm blatantly honest with someone I care about. I mean the signs on my storefront in Park Slope, Brooklyn!

You simply must check it out - wheneva you have the chance. Pongo Power, located at 402 5th Street, near the corner of 6th Avenue is certainly coming along. We now have exterior signage.

I've worked for the man (which was actually fairly ideal) I've worked for a few clients, and I've worked for myself; and I am very, very happy to report: my fav is working towards building a community.

Being at the fitness studio, and hiring my new employees has been more imaginative and more of a live dream-come-true than I could ever have foretold. (Imagine me knocking my head right now and stating, "Knock on wood.") I so enjoy establishing a place for people to meet, and greet, and talk about the vital issues of the day. And luckily my first boss (the man - Ted Bahr) taught most of that to me. I guess this blog is an exterior sign of my gratefulness.

Thanks, Ted!

Hello from Center Slope

I've been super busy these days - but not too busy to post a blog! Hello web-log world. Been a long time. What makes a person go into blog hibernation?

Well, opening the doors for a storefront in Park Slope will do the trick. I've been working away, building a personal training studio on 5th Street at the corner of 6th Avenue. My fitness studio is right across from the Park Slope Ale House. So, if you don't feel like working out - we can go have a beer. That is of course, if you are over 21.

Blog hibernation has been fine. I've been practicing guitar. Blogs. Everybody's writing them, but who is reading them? You are! Stand-up comedy and film making have taken a complete back seat to the passion I feel when teaching people how to do lunges, bicep curls and heel taps. Training your lower abdominal core is my calling, right now.

Ursula Points - A Rock Band

Ursula Points

I took this photo of Ursula Points, yesterday. Their album, "Light Up A Galaxy," will be out 10/03/06. Ursula Points is made up of Kevin McGinnis - vocals, guitar, bass, drums, synths, percussion; and Lindsay Marcus - vocals, wurlitzer, guitar, piano, percussion, engineer.

They rock. You can find them on MySpace. Here

This is how I see the world. No matter how many shadows, and how much light - we have an incredible galaxy. You can't deny that. Who of you, out there can really say, "Oh, the galaxy. I don't think the galaxy is that great. It's not funny." The galaxy is a wonderful thing. It is the container of all that is funny and good. Let's hear it for the galaxy! If the galaxy didn't exist, you wouldn't be here.

gal·ax·y

1. Any of numerous large-scale aggregates of stars, gas, and dust that constitute the universe, containing an average of 100 billion (1011) solar masses and ranging in diameter from 1,500 to 300,000 light-years. Also called nebula.

2. An assembly of brilliant, glamorous, or distinguished persons or things: a galaxy of theatrical performers. A splendid assemblage, especially of famous people.

Deadlines!

This is my question: how did the term, "DEADLINE" become such a big part of the common venacular? If you really think about it, this American society that we have on our hands here, folks, is deadline driven.

Now, if your first priority is you deadline - does that mean that you will drop dead if you don't acheive this deadline? Nope. Do you think that when little chickies and birdies are hatching out of their shells and eggs they are thinking to themselves, "I have to MAKE THIS DEADLINE!! If I don't hatch...there's going to be hell to pay." Is the deadline more imporant than the hatching out of the egg? Nope. Natural, organic hatching. That is important.

Now, don't get me wrong. I understand that respecting one anothers' time frames is important - and valuable. I fully believe in team work, and not making other people late as a result of your own slothful laziness.

That is why I choose to do most of my best work in a dark closet, alone.

Erzsi at the Laugh Lounge

Erzsi at the Laugh Lounge

Watch the video

Here I am, doing a little show at the Laugh Lounge, about being taken to jail, by my friends, the cops in the New York City Subway system. I know the homeless are often hungry - but this particular cop was was wearing a Boar's Head deli butcher's jacket. Isn't that a little bit odd? For a cop to dress up as a butcher of pigs?

This video was originally shared on blip.tv by pongo with a No license (All rights reserved) license.

Modeling on the Runway

I must say that modeling has taught me a lot about staying on my toes. Those navy blue shoes I am wearing are the literal example of toe-oriented skills. Walking down a runway in heels is not easy! Luckily these navy blue puppies are snuggled on.