A week or so after the showcase, Ryan was off to the Red with a couple friends. I always enjoy some alone time when he leaves for the weekend. I usually just go to bed early, but its just relaxing to kick back a little while he's away. he had a good time and got some good climbing in.
Memorial Day was pretty nice this year. Although it was very hot and very humid, Ryan and I were both off together. That hardly ever happens. We took advantage of this and went out for breakfast at a little joint in Clintonville, The Beechwold Diner. We sat at the counter because there was a wait. The food was good and it was nice to just hang out and eat and drink coffee. Breakfast out is one of our favorite things to do.
We drove around Upper Arlington a bit and eventually made our way home in time to pack a picnic lunch. We grabbed some books, some food, and our pop-out chairs and went to a shady spot in Antrim Park. We stayed a couple hours readying and lounging before heading home. Pretty nice little afternoon!
I am so ready for vacation. I have been counting down the days. This is worrisome since its only been 6 months since our last trip. How am I ever going to make it thru to Ryan's graduation? I find that having something to look forward to really helps get me through. For example, this trip. Then, I am going home for the fouth of July...then my boss is going to London to see the Olympics in August...we get a weekend in Hocking Hills in September, and my step-brother gets married in October. Thanksgiving is next, of course. There is a showcase in December, and my boss will be going to India over the holidays, so basically...its already 2013!
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
"When the mask falls off, it really makes a thud."
---Rose Nylund.
I posted a link to my dance in my previous post. It was a really fun day. Everyone got to the theater around 10 am and got dressed. We ran thru the show and got ready for the first performance. My mom somehow managed to sneak in and see the practice curtain call. Shocking.
Having a long ponytail and fake eye lashes for a day was so unusual, but made me really feel like a dancer/performer. Although I will say the stage makeup was somewhat metaphorical of superficiality in todays culture. Excuse me while I digress: I think society has women feeling the need to be so made up all the time, even if you are trying to look "natural" there is makeup for that! There are entire websites, cosmetic lines, tutorials, etc all dedicated to making a girl look "natural." I admit that I am a big offender of this. How much money have I spent on cosmetics? Too much. Anyway, by the time the 7pm show rolled around, my pony tail was tangled into a giant knot for the 50th time that day, my lips were so dried out from the heavily pigmented lipstick, that it was a wonder I has any skin still attached to them by the end of the day. My right eye lash was hanging by a defiant blob of glue on one side of my eye, and my Spanx had long since given up on containing last night's double scoop. I'm sure from a distance (the audience) it looked fine for the 2 minutes and 30 seconds I danced. But it really felt like the mask was falling off...and surprise! It's me underneath! I guess I can live with that. :)
Back to the show... WOW talk about nerves. I watched from the side of the stage as the other dancers went on. My friend Matt went on 2 before me. Next was Pam with her spicy samba that suddenly made my cha-cha feel very tired. Ah! It's our turn!
My heart was beating so fast as Michael Paul and I stood on the dark stage waiting for the lights to come up as our music started. Lights. And DANCE! Ahh what am I doing? We are doing it! No time to think....SMILE....SMILE....SMILE!
Just like that, it was over. I managed to get in a wink at the beginning, not sure when or how I decided to add that in, but it worked. I felt like I lost time toward the end of the middle, but watching the video it looked ok. I could have gotten lower and more into my movement in a couple parts...but I was just trying to survive at that point. Whew.
I got a quick pat on the back from MP before he went to find his next student to perform with. During intermission I snuck out to say hello to mom, Greg, Ryan and my Grandparents. You would have thought I just won the Nobel Prize!! Hugs and praise from everyone. They were gone as soon as the came to go back to Youngstown, but it wouldn't have been the same if they weren't there to support me.
After the first show was completely over (with a sweet latin medley bu the one-and-only Rachel)I hung out with Ryan for a few and then headed backstage for a bite and to hang out with my fellow dancers.
The second show went a little better I think. I felt more comfortable. I still had butterflies of course, but not as bad as the first show. This time I wasn't allowed out during intermission, so I met up with Ryan, his parents (who gave me beautiful earrings), and my best good friend Stef and her boyfriend. She brought me flowers, how sweet!!
It felt good to hear that they all enjoyed the performance. After chatting with them for a few, I went backstage to get my things, came home and went straight to bed!
I am taping my fingers together to avoid text-bombing Michael Paul about when the pro pics and video will be available. I am checking FB even more than usual for them!
Now its time to focus on our upcoming trip to Panama! Yay! 3 weeks!
I posted a link to my dance in my previous post. It was a really fun day. Everyone got to the theater around 10 am and got dressed. We ran thru the show and got ready for the first performance. My mom somehow managed to sneak in and see the practice curtain call. Shocking.
Having a long ponytail and fake eye lashes for a day was so unusual, but made me really feel like a dancer/performer. Although I will say the stage makeup was somewhat metaphorical of superficiality in todays culture. Excuse me while I digress: I think society has women feeling the need to be so made up all the time, even if you are trying to look "natural" there is makeup for that! There are entire websites, cosmetic lines, tutorials, etc all dedicated to making a girl look "natural." I admit that I am a big offender of this. How much money have I spent on cosmetics? Too much. Anyway, by the time the 7pm show rolled around, my pony tail was tangled into a giant knot for the 50th time that day, my lips were so dried out from the heavily pigmented lipstick, that it was a wonder I has any skin still attached to them by the end of the day. My right eye lash was hanging by a defiant blob of glue on one side of my eye, and my Spanx had long since given up on containing last night's double scoop. I'm sure from a distance (the audience) it looked fine for the 2 minutes and 30 seconds I danced. But it really felt like the mask was falling off...and surprise! It's me underneath! I guess I can live with that. :)
Back to the show... WOW talk about nerves. I watched from the side of the stage as the other dancers went on. My friend Matt went on 2 before me. Next was Pam with her spicy samba that suddenly made my cha-cha feel very tired. Ah! It's our turn!
My heart was beating so fast as Michael Paul and I stood on the dark stage waiting for the lights to come up as our music started. Lights. And DANCE! Ahh what am I doing? We are doing it! No time to think....SMILE....SMILE....SMILE!
Just like that, it was over. I managed to get in a wink at the beginning, not sure when or how I decided to add that in, but it worked. I felt like I lost time toward the end of the middle, but watching the video it looked ok. I could have gotten lower and more into my movement in a couple parts...but I was just trying to survive at that point. Whew.
I got a quick pat on the back from MP before he went to find his next student to perform with. During intermission I snuck out to say hello to mom, Greg, Ryan and my Grandparents. You would have thought I just won the Nobel Prize!! Hugs and praise from everyone. They were gone as soon as the came to go back to Youngstown, but it wouldn't have been the same if they weren't there to support me.
After the first show was completely over (with a sweet latin medley bu the one-and-only Rachel)I hung out with Ryan for a few and then headed backstage for a bite and to hang out with my fellow dancers.
The second show went a little better I think. I felt more comfortable. I still had butterflies of course, but not as bad as the first show. This time I wasn't allowed out during intermission, so I met up with Ryan, his parents (who gave me beautiful earrings), and my best good friend Stef and her boyfriend. She brought me flowers, how sweet!!
I am taping my fingers together to avoid text-bombing Michael Paul about when the pro pics and video will be available. I am checking FB even more than usual for them!
Now its time to focus on our upcoming trip to Panama! Yay! 3 weeks!
Monday, May 14, 2012
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Dikiy Muzchinaaaaahhhh
Well - my dress arrived! And its the PERFECT green. Its fits like a glove (although I can't be completely satisfied now can I? No. But I will refrain from mentioning the problem I have with my belly sticking out too much and my endless battle to find the ultimate control top undergarment that doesn't show through the back of the dress! :::pant...pant:::)
ANYWAY - moving on. The dress rocks, now I just need to find a hair-do that works. Michael Paul says leave it down, but I think if I do I will look more "first-day-of-eighth-grade" and less "Russian-sex-kitten-on-the-prowl." Oh are my grandparents in for a treat.
In non-showcase news:
Ryan's been trucking away and finally got his first crown patient in clinic. It felt like he was never going to get a crown there for a while. As his third year comes to a close, we are being forced to look more seriously at our future. He wants to do a one-year General Practice Residency. These are programs all over the country at hospitals and universities that rotate residents through procedures on medically compromised patients. Where will we go? Colorado? California? Florida? Utah? Stay here? It's a little stressful because these decisions are going to need to be made very soon due to the application requirements, match program, etc.
It's left me wondering what do with MY future. I am still at Trillium on the weekends, and I'd like to stay there as long as I can. It will be 3 years in July and I really love the residents and my coworkers. Between Trillium and the surgery center, I end up pretty close to full-time hours, if not slightly over sometimes. But what happens if we move? What happens if we stay?
About 6 weeks til Panama. I can't wait to leave it all behind and snorkel, hike, and eat tons of fruit on tropical shores.
Till next time!
ANYWAY - moving on. The dress rocks, now I just need to find a hair-do that works. Michael Paul says leave it down, but I think if I do I will look more "first-day-of-eighth-grade" and less "Russian-sex-kitten-on-the-prowl." Oh are my grandparents in for a treat.
In non-showcase news:
Ryan's been trucking away and finally got his first crown patient in clinic. It felt like he was never going to get a crown there for a while. As his third year comes to a close, we are being forced to look more seriously at our future. He wants to do a one-year General Practice Residency. These are programs all over the country at hospitals and universities that rotate residents through procedures on medically compromised patients. Where will we go? Colorado? California? Florida? Utah? Stay here? It's a little stressful because these decisions are going to need to be made very soon due to the application requirements, match program, etc.
It's left me wondering what do with MY future. I am still at Trillium on the weekends, and I'd like to stay there as long as I can. It will be 3 years in July and I really love the residents and my coworkers. Between Trillium and the surgery center, I end up pretty close to full-time hours, if not slightly over sometimes. But what happens if we move? What happens if we stay?
About 6 weeks til Panama. I can't wait to leave it all behind and snorkel, hike, and eat tons of fruit on tropical shores.
Till next time!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Showcase is coming!
In about a month I will be strutting my stuff in cha-cha form to anyone who cares to shell out the dough for a ticket. The showcase itself is going to be great - there are a bunch of really good dancers preforming to all kinds of great songs.
My fear is that...every performance will be great except for mine. What if I loose my balance and stumble? What if I blank completely? What if everything goes right, but the over all dance is lackluster? I'm scared. The embarrassing part is, Michael Paul and I have been going over it at every lesson - if I'm not dancing it with my eyes closed by now - will I ever have it down?
Don't get me wrong, I know the dance. I just can't preform it with finesse and pizazz just yet. My dess should be here by April 25 and I'm hoping it fits and won't need altered. Ugh, I will be nervous enough about the dancing, let alone worrying about an ill-fitting dress showing every girl scout cookie I've eaten lately.
It will cover me up a little more than this:
Speaking of fat rolls and cookies....I've started running! I know, I know...I've "started running" about 20 times now, but I'm up to 3.6 miles at a time! That's personal record! I am also really trying to lift more. Ryan is always on my case about how I don't do enough strength training, and I'm really trying to do it now at least once a week. I am also passing on drug-rep food at work.
Maybe I will feel better in my swim suit in Panama when that rolls around. 2 months away!
My fear is that...every performance will be great except for mine. What if I loose my balance and stumble? What if I blank completely? What if everything goes right, but the over all dance is lackluster? I'm scared. The embarrassing part is, Michael Paul and I have been going over it at every lesson - if I'm not dancing it with my eyes closed by now - will I ever have it down?
Don't get me wrong, I know the dance. I just can't preform it with finesse and pizazz just yet. My dess should be here by April 25 and I'm hoping it fits and won't need altered. Ugh, I will be nervous enough about the dancing, let alone worrying about an ill-fitting dress showing every girl scout cookie I've eaten lately.
It will cover me up a little more than this:
Speaking of fat rolls and cookies....I've started running! I know, I know...I've "started running" about 20 times now, but I'm up to 3.6 miles at a time! That's personal record! I am also really trying to lift more. Ryan is always on my case about how I don't do enough strength training, and I'm really trying to do it now at least once a week. I am also passing on drug-rep food at work.
Maybe I will feel better in my swim suit in Panama when that rolls around. 2 months away!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Spring has sprung
Pardon the trite heading - but the weather has been great around here and Ryan and I have had tons of fun checking our some parks we've never been to. We checked our blackhand in Newark, a new area of John Bryan State Park, and stopped by familiar blendon woods to look at some birds and practice our new "steadicam".
I subbed my friend's Zumba class 3 times and wow! It was really tough! I was drenched and didn't know if I could make it through, but by day three it was a lot more fun and I felt pretty good teaching.
We've been planning our Panama trip little by little, and I'm starting to get really excited, only 2 months till we go!
Michael Paul and I have been practicing our showcase dance at every lesson - I really hope it comes together by May - we have it, but its still has a lot of kinks. My dress will be here in a couple weeks for it :)
I subbed my friend's Zumba class 3 times and wow! It was really tough! I was drenched and didn't know if I could make it through, but by day three it was a lot more fun and I felt pretty good teaching.
We've been planning our Panama trip little by little, and I'm starting to get really excited, only 2 months till we go!
Michael Paul and I have been practicing our showcase dance at every lesson - I really hope it comes together by May - we have it, but its still has a lot of kinks. My dress will be here in a couple weeks for it :)
Friday, March 16, 2012
Zumbahua
Zumbahua was the name of a town we biked thru in Ecuador :)
Speaking of Zumba - I'm subbing 3 classes next week for my friend like I did in July! So excited :)
Panama planning: we have an appt on Tuesday to get a yellow fever vaccination and some anti-malaria pills.
Looking forward to a dance showcase in May - learning some very difficult choreography for it (well, its difficult for me, anyway).
Hope everyone is doing well!
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Panamaniacs!
I know, I know, we just got back from Ecuador. Another trip already? Well....yes!
We are going to Panama for 2 weeks in June! We are still in the early planning stages - but I'll keep you posted as we plan!
We are going to Panama for 2 weeks in June! We are still in the early planning stages - but I'll keep you posted as we plan!
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