Thursday, December 31, 2009

"Party Like It's 1999"

So it's a decade after Prince released this fantastic song! It's interesting to look back and think about what you were doing 10 years ago...

New Year's Eve of 1999 I was going into my last semester of OAC in high school and getting ready for University! It was also the New Years that I hosted my very first New Year's Eveparty at my house. It wasn't that great, as I remember running out of alcohol very early on in the evening, and my mother coming home early, but it was still a party!

Now ten years later I am hosting my 2nd ever New Year's Eve party! This time way more laid back and only with my closest friends drinking wine around my fire place and watching crappy movies on tv! I have all the food and drinks ready and now I am sitting here waiting in my Free City track pants as my friends are on their way. I couldn't think of a better way to spend my last evening of 2009!

Inspired by my friend Alison I am going to set some goals for 2010... not like lose weight, or whatever, but 3 realistic goals that I can ask my friends and family to help me with!

1. Stop spending so much money on clothes - it's obvious to people who are close to me that I have a serious issue with this, however, MasterCard doesn't seem to agree! I will stop spending money on frivolous items that I can't find space for in my 3 closets and instead spend money/time doing things with people that are important to me. Ie. go to the movies with my mom, or have lunch with Shelby before we teach.

2. I will think before I speak to avoid hurting people's feelings - this one will be tough for me but I'm determined to try! I have a lack of verbal filter when it comes to people I love, and I'm sure I hurt their feelings more then I intend to. So I will make a point of not saying what I really want to say in some cases, and spare their feelings.

3. Learn to cook more things - I know how to cook, it's just out of absolute laziness that I don't more often. I also seem to cook the familiar/likeable things most often, probably out of ease and satisfaction that it will be good. So this year I want to actually go buy ingredients that the cookbook recommends and make meals with them!

I think 3 goals is plenty to think about and work on so I will stop there!

Gotta go check on my baked brie with figs and apples now... already working on goal #3! Oh wait it's still 2009 so I guess that doesn't count???

Tonight I toast to all the great things that happened to me in the past year, and the not-so great things that I learned great things from!

2010 is going to be epic - I just know it!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

"Bad Romance"

It's almost the end of the day... but I'm keeping to my word and blogging!

I would have done it earlier, but I sat at the US/Canada border tonight in traffic for almost 2 hours coming home from Buffalo. I would have blogged from my fance iPhone blogging app, but I refuse to pay those US roaming fees with Rogers!

It was my third trip to shop in the US in the past two weeks... which I'm pretty sure nominates me for Shopaholics Anonymous. I don't always go looking for things for myself, but it usually ends up that I come out of every store with something that I absolutely must have. I bought several costumes for Competitive routines today, so that qualifies writing the entire trip off on my taxes!

However, on an extremely great note I discovered a new authentic Mexican restaurant right by the Outlets on Niagara Falls Blvd... La Galera! Not exciting enough for you... it is within 5 minutes of the competition site we will be going to in April. That means DF post-competition dinner at La Galera - Chimichangas for everyone!

Now in keeping with the theme of naming all my blogs after songs, this one just seemed fitting today, as I heard Lady Gaga sing this song 47 times on the radio in an 8 hour span.

Damn you US border... I have now memorized all the words!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

"I Can Cook Too!"

I officially failed at this blogging thing... truthfully I forgot my password for a while there and then gave up. Now, since I work with kids, giving up is generally not an option that I like to preach, but realistically I could not be bothered for a while!

So tonight I had a revelation and I have decided that I will blog something, no matter how small, every day for an entire year. I actually just watched "Julie & Julia" with my mom and am inspired to write every day about what I love to do... which may change depending on the day! And maybe there is a small glimmer of hope someone will make a movie about my life like they did for Julie Powell, that unfortunately had a lame ending!

This Tuesday night is not like any other I usually have during the year. I am not at the studio, I am not even in the same city as my studio, and instead of teaching or making up choreography I am impatiently searching through the television channels looking for a familiar weekly show. Unfortunately, not only is my dancing life on hiatus, but my regular reality television programming is as well.

I have not been to my studio in over a week and I even miss the intolerable scent that comes from the lockers. I do know that the return of dance in January will bring with it the excitement and stress of the fast approaching competitive season, but bring it on! Most people think my optimistic attitude about our competitive season in 2010 is about proving myself to people and even a bit of revenge... and as shameful as it makes me feel, I will admit that a bit of it is true. Along with a plethora of positive reasons that have nothing to do with anybody else!

With 2009 coming to an end I have made time to reflect a lot on things that have happened at the studio this past year. A lot of good, then the not-so-good, but then more good! I was told once by a teacher that the road to success is paved with a lot of bumps and even small failures. Regardless of all the things that have been not so great this year, I definitely don't think I have failed at anything. Instead, I've decided that I've learned, grown, re-directed and re-focused! No bull-shit, not trying to cover up any feelings, but truly I have had a chance to see what is really important and valuable now in my life, teaching, and my studio.

I feel like I actually have a lot of things to write about... things I've learned about, things I still need help with, and things that maybe will help other people!

I'm no Julia Child... but I can bake a mean red velvet cupcake, adorned with cream cheese icing!