2009 Holidays

Christmas has come and gone, and it was a good one. The first one that I completely enjoyed where I was and who I was with, while also longing to be somewhere else, or at least have another addition to the group I was with. I like the feeling.

A few days before Christmas I got what is definitely my favorite present, and it wasn't even a present. Double Champ (who has since won again, but doesn't think we need to change his name yet again) came dancing with me last Tuesday. It was so much fun that I can't even think of decent adjectives to describe how much I enjoyed it. At first he wanted to bow out because he'd had a long day and he thought that we could just meet up later, but when he realized how much I'd been looking forward to it he decided to join me for a couple of hours.

He doesn't think he's so great, but for the first time dancing he was actually really awesome. Based on his own assessment, he has said several times that he plans on getting better, which I believe is a bit of intention to come out again sometime! I suggested this week, especially since I was recently given $20 for a pair of sunglasses that I paid $12 for and was never going to wear again anyway and that is my dancing money this week. I think it might be a little sooner than he'd like though, so I won't be pushing it. I think I'll just let it happen as it happens and enjoy every moment.

Even if we don't go dancing tomorrow night we're going to an awesome New Years Eve party where there will be plenty of time for dancing, even though I'm sure the shoes I'll end up wearing will not be so great for swing. Last night he surprised me by asking if he should wear a tux, which he apparently has! That is of course not at all necessary, though I do get to see him in a tie, which I am looking forward to seeing.

We haven't exchanged gifts yet, mostly because I haven't been able to get the supplies for his (and he knows the address to this blog, so I can't talk about it) but I'm hoping that we can within the next week or so.

I would love to be able to post a picture of the two of us with this post, but as far as I know there are currently none in existence. That will have to change some time this week.

Inspired

A friend of mine lost his mother early yesterday morning. I never got to meet her, but I love seeing his words about her.

He's definitely one of the coolest people anyone could ever meet, and before I knew too much about her, I thought it was an "in spite of" situation rather than a because of. I was wrong.

Reading his words since her passing, I keep finding myself crying. I feel a little foolish for doing so, since I never did get to meet her, but the tears are not tears of loss or sorrow. They are happy tears to know that such a person could ever exist. I cannot thank this friend enough for sharing with the rest of the world these small fragments of the woman who shaped one of my favorite people in the world.



On an entirely different note, I saw Fame tonight, and will from now on be dancing pretty much every moment that I can. The latest addition to my dance line up will start next Monday, the beginning Hip Hop Aerobics course at Sac State. It will also get me on campus later, which means more study time. (That last period started off as an exclamation point, but needed to be changed.)



Feeling the smile on my face while watching the big number at the end was a bit awesome. I remember seeing Save The Last Dance in theaters when it came out and I was crying through most of it because I missed dancing and I was pretty mad at myself for letting me quit when we moved to Sacramento. This time though, I've got the motivation to dance again, and I'm going to just that. When I'm not in some sort of class or at a venue doing swing, you can expect me to be leaving happy hour and Saturday nights with the Xoso crew for places like Press Club.

I can't wait!

Also, after having a total crush through the movie, I'm wondering if I have a new type, or this is just a fluke.

Good Friday!

Yesterday was a grand day.

I started my day at Home Depot with my dad, where we bought the lumber for him to make me a counter for my kitchen!

I get to get creative with it and paint it any color I wish (though with my red kitchen I'll probably go with black or white). Since my dad is kind of awesome, he's making it so I can get super creative and figuring it out so I can set the top with epoxy and decorate the top with something even more creative while also making it a surface that is more than easy to wipe spills off of.

I think I'm going to put vintage recipes into it, hopefully some that I might actually end up being able to make! I'm a bit stoked about a reason to go thrifting!



After that we went to get burgers, and I think I'll post more about that later.

The rest of my day was the laziest I've had in a while, which was quite nice. I napped in the park for about an hour, and then I napped in bed for about 4 1/2 hours.

The only thing that would have been able to follow that would be the awesome night of dancing and great conversation with friends at Lyons!

I think I'll do what I can to make every Friday something like this.

Coolest girl EVAH!

Need I say more?

I would like a snack.

I'm still really liking all this dance stuff. Can't wait to really learn more and feel comfortable with most leads. Some shoes that I've had for a while are now suddenly giving me a blister, so I was a little off tonight, but I still had fun. Plus, my security blanket was at home getting some much needed rest. But I still went for it!

I need to figure out a way to get my brother to one of the dance parties at Joanne's. If he really got to get into a couple songs he would be totally addicted, and then I would have someone else to dance with! Seriously, the brother and I would be an awesome dance couple. It's not something that I can just describe though, I need to get him out there so we can show people!



Did I mention that I made some awesome Cake Cones on Saturday? I will be making more soon. Maybe even making them prettier!

Living Life!

I know that I'm going to get some scoffs at this, but sometimes, Grey's Anatomy is totally spot on.

In one of the later episodes of this season there was a comment made to the effect of the realization that as much as we seem to always be preparing for the next stage in life (i.e. after this semester, after next semester, after graduation, after credential - the life of an English major doesn't have things like residency that take years) our life is happening all around us. If we don't pay attention while it's happening, we're going to miss something.

I've been thinking about that notion a lot lately as I've really become emerged in the world of swing dancing as well as the social scene that accompanies the awesome workout. Though one of the social circles I've become very much aware that life is happening and I'm rather proud of the fact that I'm now embracing it and enjoying it to no end.



There's been a bit of drama with a boy who seems to be enamored with me and my wonderful new guy friends doing all they can to cock block (though it's more just buffering for my benefit), and some interesting instances that have come out of that. I feel bad for the guy, 'cause I'm simply not interested. If he would chill a bit I'm sure that he could find a girl who would be a much better fit for what he's looking for without much resistance.



I've also met some really amazing new friends. The kind of friends who notice that my pants are too big and decide that we need to go shopping for new jeans, or have work in a couple hours, but will spend one of those hours not reading with me at the park. (We should really do that as much as possible this summer, I definitely got a little sun yesterday.)



This life enjoyment is what's hindering blogging lately. If I wasn't so happy with my lack of sleep and intense sign language studies, I might be sorry!



All pictures of the 1:30AM dancing in front of Rick's Dessert Diner that is definitely my favorite dance moment yet!

Bad Blogger

As busy as I am lately, I'm determined to blog regularly this summer. I don't think that I'll have something every day, but 3-4 times a week, with one of them actually having some sort of substance would be nice.

Maybe once I get used to this non-stop summer I seem to have gotten myself into.

I really like the way that my friend Gina blogs, it's usually after her posts that I'm kicking myself the most for not being a better blogger. I hope she doesn't mind me linking to her, she really cracks me up, so why not share?

I have my second night of the beginning swing series class I'm in at Midtown Stomp Friday and I'm stoked. I can't wait until I'm not being silly and doing stuff like looking at my feet when I'm dancing!

PS. Why do I look so blonde in pictures?

It's been too long.

Things I did last weekend.

Friday.

☆ Had an amazing non-date date with Staple.
☆ Saw Star Trek and fell for both Spock and Kirk.
☆ Identified Winona Ryder in about two milliseconds, even though Staple doubted me.
☆ Took Staple to experience the awesome that is Squeeze Inn.
☆ Had the most amazing burger I've eaten, at least this year.
☆ Got super cute before going to Midtown Stomp for The Jive Aces.
☆ Took the first in the series classes I signed up for, and feel a lot more confident about where my dancing is headed.
☆ Danced the night away, and had LOTS of fun!
☆ Got to flirt with the drummer from the Jive Aces for a little while a Lyon's, while just generally having a good time with good friends.
☆ Went to hang out with a friend, and three new friends, and got home after 5AM.

Saturday
☆ Had nothing to do, so slept all day. We're talking 5PM, people.
☆ Made some casual plans to go to ice cream with a friend.
☆ Got invited to a movie with friends.
☆ Changed ice cream plans, included everyone in the movie plans.
☆ Movie got out later than expected, went to dive bar with friends.
☆ Was totally flattered by friends and their friends, tried not to let it go to my head.
☆ Got home around 3.
☆ Stayed up way too late talking to someone I shouldn't be.

Sunday
☆ Worked 10-6, which means no church.
☆ Came home to sleep before my first day of Sign Language in summer school.

Grr to School

So this whole summer school thing is great right? I'll get my foreign language out of the way and be able to graduate on time, possibly with a minor in education, possibly with a jump start on the credential program.

That is of course until I have to actually PAY for my summer classes. I knew there was a down side to this situation that I was forgetting!

I'm going to have to start watching my money and really only spending it on dancing, food and gas. And by food I of course mean stuff from the grocery store, not so much going out.

Between dancing, school and work, I wonder what else I'll have time to do this summer.

Actually, it sounds kind of nice.

More Dresses!

I know you're probably getting sick of these posts, but I really want something fun to dance in. When I feel cute, I'm so much more likely to try something new, hoping that if people happen to be watching, they'll be distracted by the cute factor if I do end up messing it up. So I need a dress like these!

Ignore the picture quality, I had to screen cap from Hulu.

Any Ideas on where to get dresses of this nature?

Great Weekend!

I know that I don't normally update on Sundays now, but I didn't update yesterday, and I have something to say, so why not?

This weekend has been one awesome weekend of dancing for me. Starting on Friday, I decided that I was not allowed to sit out more than two songs in a row at Midtown Stomp. I'm pretty good at not dancing sometimes, but that's not really going to help me, so I don't want to do it as much! I don't think that I fully stuck to that decision, but the only time that I did miss more than two songs in a row, I also wasn't in the ballroom, so I feel like I stuck to it.

I got to dance with a cool guy I met at Sweet n' Hot last week, and he started actually giving me some of the direction that I really need with Lindy. It's very exciting. I'm enjoying this all so much more than I expected to, which really does say a lot, and getting better is quickly becoming a big goal for me.

There was a party on Saturday that I didn't think I was going to go to because I was supposed to be at work until 11, but when I got out just after 10 I decided to make a surprise appearance. I don't think I've ever felt more loved than I did walking into that party full of people who'd spent the previous night trying to convince me to come while I insisted that I couldn't. Sure, many of them we drunk, but I felt loved none the less.



While I was there, I got to dance a lot more than I have before (somehow I danced for I think 7 songs in a row) and I even learned my new favorite. Hustle!

I have so much fun dancing with Jeff. He's an amazing lead, and I rarely doubt where he wants me to go. I sometimes don't read it quite right, but I'm learning! I really love the moments where I'm not so comfortable with something, but I just go with it anyway, and I figure out something new!



This week I'm really looking forward to dancing three nights! It will be my first time at Club 21 for their Tuesday Swing, so that should be interesting. Sadly for me Jeff will not be there, but I can't really find fault with him for that. Plus, it's good to dance with other people, if only to reinforce how great a lead Jeff is!

This week I will also be starting to take classes through Midtown Stomp, which Jeff is actually going to take as well. I'm very excited and can't wait to see just what I'll be able to do after the classes. Especially since Jeff is taking them as well, I know that I'll have opportunity to practice!



The dresses that I've been posting are ones that I would love to wear dancing. Not always the most practical, not always a price I would pay, and not always something that would look good on me, but fun to look at anyway!

Wow it's late.

I should really be in bed. It's 3:00AM and I enjoy being fully rested in the morning.

Especially when my day consists of the following:

Waking up whenever I please.
Reading in the park until about noon-thirty.
Going to Ikea with someone awesome.
Possibly having Ikea linner.
The chance of a nap (depends on how epic Ikea is).
Swing dancing with some new friends, some of them quickly becoming good friends.
Probably getting persuaded to stay out later than I should, but loving every moment of it!

For those who knew the much more callused me from middle school to even just a few months ago, it feels really nice to now put it into text that...

Life is good.

I should be asleep.

I officially have an A in the class I thought I was getting an A- in, and a B in one of the classes I thought I was getting a C in.

The other four remain to be seen, but it's likely that a lot of those are Cs.

My roommate today let me know that she's giving our landlord 30 days notice this month and will be out by July 1. Not sure exactly what I want to do about getting a new roommate or finding my own place, but I have a couple ideas for roommates if I do stay here.

Dancing was a lot of fun tonight, and tomorrow night at my new friend Amanda's graduation party it should be lots of fun as well. I'm getting more comfortable just going with the flow, which is probably good for learning new things and not forcing things.

I'm going to be extremely tired tomorrow, but it will definitely be worth it.