Don't tell anyone but...

I think I almost overdosed on Timothy Gunn after watching far too many hours to admit, of Project Runway. I know! I just can't help it. I fell into a marathon of it yesterday, and oh, how I love marathon anythings, and it was like I rediscovered my love for the show. Even though I never really had a love for it in the first place. But, whatever.

I just think it's so cool and so neat-o that people can take yards of fabric and make it into clothes. Like clothes you can wear on your body! And it really makes me wish I was a fashion designer, even though I have non-existent style and about 95% of the clothes in my closet are old, pathetic, and most likely containing a hole or two. It's sad, but as much as I'd love owning a new and fabulous wardrobe, the thought of clothes shopping sparks a near fatal panic attack. Why can't I sit and have the clothes come to me? Too many options equals GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE.

But yeah, Project Runway. Such a guilty pleasure right now. I'm three episodes deep into season 5 (courtesy of Project Free Tv ) and I don't think these designers are as good as previous casts. There's some old biker dude-lady who designs things you'd only find on the back streets of Daytona Beach (aka Home of Bike Week, or as it's more affectionately known "The Armpit of Florida"*) and there's this guy Suede (ho-ho! get what he did there?!), that can ONLY talk in third person. He's entirely creepy, and I half considered throwing my laptop across the room to just make him stop (that's clearly not true, I'd never throw you my love. Never.).

But um, hope everyone has a great New Year's and stuff. I just found out the Pharmacy is closed New Year's Day, so, things might just get craz to the ay! Or I'll just have a quiet intimate night with some friends...same thing.

*Thanks to Whitney for the best description of D-town EVER.

I don't wanna and you can't make me!!!

I go back to work tomorrow and I realllllllly don't want to go. Want to go for me?

Well I mean I'm not dreading it completely, it's just that my sister and brother in law just left tonight, and all the family/friends holiday festivities are over, and I have no time to try and get my life back in order before going back to work.

For instance:

Room? Small children could easily get lost in the pile of laundry I have on my floor and dirty dish mutants may or may not be living under my bed...too scared to check. I cleaned out my car today but now everything that was in there is in my room, and the project of cleaning this place has now tripled.

I have been living mostly in pajamas for the past three/four days because, it's Christmas Time and I can wear this all day if I want to dammit. No, YOU shower! So something like shaving, and wearing makeup might be needed ASAP.

Christmas has left me B R O K E and I have a few checks that need need need to be deposited but who wants to go to the bank on their way to work? That would mean waking up like ten minutes earlier! No thank you.

All my Christmas presents, with the exception of my Beautiful Laptop Which I Must Take Everywhere From Now On, are in a pile over at my mom's and have to be transported to this house and, gasp! put away in my room. I'll have no where to sleep in this place if this keeps up!

Urghpff.

Good Nite.

Spike. The suicidal beta fish.

At 7am this morning my sister burst into my room and said very loudly "Did the fish die?!"

I know what you're thinking, I too have heard that question asked one too many times. At 7am. While half asleep.

Then she told me he wasn't in his bowl, and that she even looked through the rocks at the bottom and couldn't find him. Rylee's fish Spike had vanished. Poof.

This was enough mystery to scrape me out of bed, so I joined her in the kitchen getting a spoon to look through the rocks once again, just to double check. A couple days before my sister told me he was digging through the rocks trying to bury himself, so I really thought he'd be down there, somewhere, but nope.

And then our conversation went something like this:

Jaffy: "Someone stole our fish!"

Jamie: "No one stole our fish."

Jaffy: "Someone STOLE our FISH!"

Jamie: "How could someone have stolen our fish, why would anyone steal our fish?"

Jaffy: "Well then where is he?"

"He's right THERE!" Suddenly I saw him laying just a few inches from my sisters feet. A helpless, shriveled, and most certainly dead, Spike.

We're not sure, but we think he jumped out of his bowl, flopped his way off our table, and then flopped away a few more feet. I think his first attempt at ending his life was trying to use the weight of the rocks to crush his body, but when that didn't work, he got desperate. How else do you explain it?

The worst part about this was that Spike was our replacement fish for Goldie, Rylee's first beloved beta. When we told her she had died, Rylee was more than a little upset. She sobbed, and sobbed, wanted to keep Goldie in a box in her room and after we told her no, we can't keep a dead fish in your room, she wanted a picture of them together and then a funeral. We buried Goldie in a box with a special note from Rylee and then put a pretty rock on top. On Christmas eve I caught her leaving presents on her grave site. So much love for one little fish.

Rylee's reaction was better this time, but there were still some crocodile tears to be shed. We tossed around the idea for a few other pets she could have, until finally we came up with the best idea for a pet EVER. A pet rock. They don't die! She loved the idea.

So Rylee and I found some rocks in the yard and painted them. Meet our new rock family.


How freggin cute are they? She put them in a "cage" with grass and a stick and kitty treats. Soon we'll teach them some tricks. You'll see.

Frannaversary and 100th post!

Five years ago, a couple pairs of best friends hung out together, drank and played cards, and laughed all night long. Since then it's been a tradition to get together on Christmas Eve's Eve and celebrate our Frannaversary. This year we went to St. Augustine for a little bar hopping and to look at all the pretty lights and homeless people. It was FUN.

Before we left, Pete preformed his traditional Pre-frannaversay ceremonial dance.



Pure Talent.

The first bar we went to was way too small and crowded so we moved on to another bar where Whitney showed how she can become a one man band.



At the end of the night we were walking back to our hotel and found 45 dollars in the street! How fantastic is that?! On the flip side some one was out 45 dollars, which sucks for them, but, it bought us free pizza, so who cares.

What? That's not mean, it was free pizza, hello!

Oh, and my blog turned 100 blog posts today. Feel free to bake her a cake.

Merry Christmas!

Just stopping in to say hello.....ON MY NEW LAP TOP! HOLLA!!

Christmas Kitty Bear

You love it.

He loved it. Mr. Hobbs sat there, just like that, for nearly ten minutes while my Mom and I took pictures. Work it! Work it!

Then he discovered the hat.

He shook it off, bit it, and ran away scornfully looking behind.

My wittle kitty bear love puppy.

It's disturbing how obsessed I am with this cat.

So, trying to steal my boyfriend are you? We'll see.

There's this girl. She wants my boyfriend. She's actually been trying for a while now, and so far I've been able to keep quiet; until now.

I'm telling you, she just won't give up.

She's short and has curly-ish hair, and I guess some people would consider her "cute" but, she's got the maturity level of a 6yr old.

She seems to think that if she tries long enough, she'll be able to persuade him, but sorry sweetie, THAT BOY IS MINE.

Want to see a her?

Here she is.

Okay fine, so maybe she's not just cute but adorable, whatever.

When Rylee first met Pete, the words out of her mouth were "Wow, I didn't know your voice was like that" and there suddenly was a sparkle in her eye and she was hooked.

All I ever hear from her is "When's Pete coming over? Where's Pete? Are you going to Pete's house?....can I come?"

She walks in my room and yells "It smells like Pete in here!"

Any time he comes over she screams PEEEEEEEETE and body slams him in one massive hug. Most of the time it takes myself and my sister to remove her. She sits on his lap when he snoods, looks up with loving eyes and says "Pee Pee (that's her pet name for him) you're my buddy, you smell like the mall".

Today she asked me "Is Pete your boyfriend?" and I told her yes, yes he was, and didn't she know that? And she says? "Oh, well guess what? He's MY boyfriend too".

Looks like I've got a little competition...

Exibit A:

Just one of our many rustic family Christmas trees.

I don't know if I was excited it was Christmas, or if I was just imitating the tree, because it looks like it's in the same pose behind me.

It's called "character" okay?

When I was little (I don't know if it was because my parents didn't want to spent the money, or because they just preferred it this way), we would cut down a tree for Christmas. I remember doing this, but only a couple of years, I think maybe because some years my Dad did it alone. I liked it actually. My Dad and I would jump in the canoe (we live on a marsh) and island hop until we found a suitable tree to hack down and take home. It wasn't until I was older that I realized, looking back at old pictures, that we had some funky ass trees.

Our trees were lopsided, they were dinky, and saggy, and old, but? I loved them.

This year I'm getting flash backs to those days because our tree this year? Let's just say Charlie Brown's tree got NOTHIN on us. We have our actual tree at my mom's and so my sister and I debated for a while on whether or not we should spend the 40 bucks and get our own. I guess we took too long to make a decision because when I came home today, there was a tiny "tree" on our steps. Our "tree" is actually a few branches off a cedar tree on our island my mom cut down and planted for us. But I say? It's perfect. I took a picture of it and sent it to my boyfriend who said it was, wait for it...wait for it...ghetto. Thanks. But we don't listen to him because he's actually a big terd that's disguised in human skin and a backwards hat.

Internet, meet our tree. Our non-ghetto, fabulous tree.

See? Cute.

So there.

Okay so it's actually a little ridiculous, but it makes me laugh and reminds me of being little and I like it, so it stays.

Notice the present under there? My niece went shopping in her room and filled that bag with some of her toys and nail stuff (I told her she could get me something for my nails as a present a couple of days ago). She pranced around so excited for about ten minutes singing "It's something that you waaaanted!"

She can stay too.

Remember...

...how I said I always want to change the look of this thing? Sure ya do, I mentioned that, and then started talking about this weird George Washington face growing on my sisters senior picture? Remember?

You don't?

LAME.

Moving on...

Well, basically I'm getting that itch to change things around once again, and although I used to spend hours upon hours working with HTML and customizing everything exactly to my liking, I have a life now currently don't quite feel like taking on a challenge that large.

And, I'm tired as crap because I spent the day at my Aunt's eating turkey, and you KNOW how much I love turkey, remember how I mentioned that??

You don't remember anything.

So yeah, the turkey has made me tired or something having to do with me being tired and not wanting to mess around with my blog.

So for now here it is, hopefully I'll be nerdy enough have enough motivation to customize it some day soon.

For now it's bed time...night folks!

I look like total ARSE right now, yippeee!

Hello, and welcome to my Saturday Wednesday. I'm in my first week of my new work schedule and so I have the day off today! Which makes it feel like a Saturday, but a really boring Saturday where you have nothing to do because it's actually a Wednesday.

I was freakin' TIRED last night after teaching my classes (still a horrible, unenthused teacher...oops!) and when I got home I showered, and then passed the F out without blow drying my hair.

So when I woke up this morning, I looked a little like this.

And that was pretty much my reaction too. Disgust. So know what I did about it? Made some coffee and sat down at the computer...aka nothing. I think I might just rock this look all day. Because it's my Wednesday off, and one can do such things on their Wednesday off. Didn't you know?

So plans for my day might now include hiding behind trees and jumping out at little school children and then... who knows! Making babies cry?

Maybe, if time allows.

So sick, of being sick.

I think I might finally be getting better, slightly better, but not totally better just yet. These past three days have been so sucky! This little virus-whatever totally kicked my ass and then laughed in my face as I curled in a ball of pain and begged it for mercy.

There was no mercy to be had however, oh no!

There was the constant headache, that despite the overdosing amount of Tylenol I took, would not subside. There was the faint feeling I had every time I stood up that made me feel like I was either going to throw up or pass out, or do both simultaneously. There was the earache, the soar throat, the runny nose, and the coughing and the wheezing that did nothing to shake that stubborn chest phlegm lose. And then of course, there was the need to sleep. It was like I wasn't tired at all, but my body wanted nothing more than to sleeeeeep. I slept all day Sunday, then somehow stayed awake long enough for Pete and I to watch a movie, then I slept the ENTIRE day yesterday, seriously only getting out of bed to either force feed, or bathe myself.

Today was better though, I actually stayed awake for most of it, but my nose has been running constantly and only today was I wise enough to have my mother buy me those extra special lotion tissues. Why I waited until today to use the special tissues, when I've been raping my nostrils with toilet paper for the past two days?? I'll never know.

I do however, know a few essential things that will get you through the worst of the worst sick days.

1. Lotion tissues. Do not wait until the last minute like stupid, stupid, me to buy them.

2. Lysol disinfectant spray. So you can hopefully save your loved ones from contamination. Also, so they won't get pissed off at you for getting them sick.

3. Lipton noodle soup. Lower the water amount, add some extra chicken bouillon, and enjoy.

4. A Slanket. Not to be confused with the Snuggie, as the Slanket makes you look bad ass and the Snuggie? Makes you look like a total wiener. Believe me. Also? The Slanket website has the best descriptions ever for their colors AND a portion of the profits goes to various charities. Check it out!

5. Hot tea. Preferably whatever my mom gave me tonight. That tea was awe-some! I'm not sure what kind it was though, so I can't really help you out, ask my mom.

6. Many, many, pillows and many, many blankets, for the many, many hours of sleep you'll have. I needed a pillow for my head, one on each side of my body and one for in between my knees. Also, fleece socks, fleece pants, and one over sized T-shirt you don't mind getting loads of snot on.

7. HOT showers, like scalding hot, showers. Don't even clean yourself, just stand there and let that glorious water wash over you. Ahhh.

8. One kitty cat to keep you company and who doesn't mind you rubbing your sick infested face all through his fuzzy wuzzy fur.

9. A remote control and cable television, preferable with access to on demand movies. Steel Magnolias? Yes Ma'am!

10. A mom that will take your temperature, check on you, bring you special tissues, soup, and make you hot tea.

Hopefully, you won't need these tips anytime soon, but if you do, remember them! They may just save your life.

Again?!

Hi my name is Jamie and I like to get sick about every two weeks or so. It's great! No, actually it sucks. The past two days at work were pretty odd, one because there were zero people filling prescriptions and two because the pharmacist was asleep in the back for the majority of the time. Why? Because he is SICK and I guess he passed his nasty little virus onto me because suddenly, very suddenly, me no feel so good. Unless it has something to do with the burger I ate tonight, Pete and I went out to dinner (yay going out!), and I had a burger, as I just mentioned, but I've never heard of food poisoning causing excessive coughing...

Anyways, my work schedule changed and I think it might just be the best work schedule in existence: work Monday, Tuesday, OFF Wednesday, work Thursday, Friday, 1/2 day (four hours) Saturday, OFF Sunday.

At least I have tomorrow to recoup (if I actually am sick, I never believe myself until it gets really bad, otherwise I just think I'm imagining it...weird?) and I'm off to bed for some very wanted rest. My bed is my best friend right now.

Gobble Gobble

So. Full. Can. Only. Talk.. One... Word..... Sentences......

I had two, count em' two dinners today, not that unusual of a feat but a first for me. The first dinner with my boyfriend's family and another late night one with mine. And oh my golly, how I love me some turkey. I could really eat turkey for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, everyday for at least four or five months straight. Yum.

I decided today that Thanksgiving is maybe even the best holiday of them all because there's no pressure to buy anything (well except maybe some food) and again all the turkey, and also because it's nice to force yourself to think of all the things in your life you're grateful for. Lately I've tried really hard not to take for granted anything in my life. My friends, my family, my boyfriend, pretty days, my Dad's music, soft blankets, good food, and being healthy to name a few. It's nice that there's a day where we all pay extra attention to the things in our lives that make us feel super lucky. So much is handed to us in our lives, things like running water and comfortable beds, food every night and clean clothes, it's easy to forget that so much of the population on this planet may never experience such luxuries. I know I'm happy I don't have to bathe in a lake, or out of a bucket somewhere...aren't you? I hope so.

Sorry this post is so nerdy, but I think I'm a little drunk off all that wonderful turkey...

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Time to preach to myself again...

Every Tuesday I teach three(but will soon only be two) dance classes, and every Tuesday I wish I had prepared for them. It's really not a great habit I've created, doing absolutely nothing to plan the classes, or choreographing any exercises...or picking out music...or remembering to even bring my dance shoes. I feel bad, and I want to do better, but then again I'm lazy! And I work 45 hrs at my "real job"! But still, this is a paying job, and I should treat it like one.

I think I've managed to not completely screw up my classes so far however, because I usually make something up for class on the ride from work to the studio. The lazy side of me really enjoys this technique because it takes away the process of physically moving. So, I guess my classes aren't the worst, but still, these girls deserve more. I should also be grateful to even have an opportunity to still dance on a slim, but regular basis, because honestly how sad would it be if I had stop dancing completely?! And I do have fun teaching, the girls always crack me up and remind me of the old days of dance classes which mainly consisted of making fun of the Weird Girl and talking about boooys.

So I think I'm going to pretend like I'm in one of those teacher movies, where the teacher first starts the year thinking teaching is going to be a breeze and doesn't care so much, and does a really crappy job at first, but then realizes how magical and wonderful her student's hearts are, and becomes this fantastic teacher and her and all her students throw a big party, no make it a fair, yeah a fair! and they eat cotton candy, and drink cherry soda and run off skipping and prancing into the sunset. Yeah...maybe my classes will be like that from now on...

I am a shitty snooder.

There's this game on my computer, Snood.

Whitney first introduced me to it, and at first I loved it, loved it! I played it for a while, most likely compulsively, until my excitement for Snood started to fade. Pretty soon the excitement was gone completely, and the game sat on my desktop untouched, unsnooded, for years.

Until my boyfriend found it.

He's quite the little competitor, especially with himself, and so it was his goal to claim the top score, or every score in the game. It's incredibly hard to tear him away from Snood, and sometimes it even comes down a bit of bribery. Honestly, I'm surprised I haven't woken up to find him secretly and quietly snooding to himself in the middle of the night. Probably some night soon I will.

Right now most levels look like this:

TOP SCORE:

1. Pete
2. Pete
3. Pete
4. Pete
5. Pete
6. Pete
7. Pete
8. Pete
9. Pete
10. Jamie

I am beating him on one particular level though, level "Child" but it's not important to mention which one. Only beating him on one level is very disturbing to me, because whenever humanly possible I really, really like to beat him at games (I usually fail miserably, unless it's Greedy, in which case Pete doesn't stand a chance). So tonight I tried my hardest to gain some points in Snood, on the "Medium" level. I thought I was doing pretty Kick Ass, knocking down Snoods left and right, and getting a score of 2020. Unfortunately Pete's score? 6314.

Looks like I may need a little more practice.

P.S. Writing this post and the snooding that occurred before hand was a great distraction to what's really been on my mind tonight, and what is stressing the crap out of me. Hopefully all will be resolved tomorrow morning though...

Love Tree Delivery

So as a wedding present to Whitney and Todd, Pete and I decided to get them a tree. Not your usual present, but it seemed very fitting for Whit and Todd, and I really liked that it wasn't something off a registry, or something that wouldn't get used very often. This tree will grow as their marriage does, and every time they look at it they'll be reminded of their wedding day, (and of course, of their two bestest friends) and I thought it would be sweet and corny and fantastic too, and so, the Love Tree was born.

Pete's Dad hooked us up with an awesome tree, and before the delivery I had only seen it from a distance and so when my Mom asked how big it was I shrugged and said "um, like 5 feet or something?" Yeah, totally NOT five feet, this tree was HUGE!

HUGE right?!

Then we had to pick a place to park it....

So we had Todd stand and act like a tree to see if it was a good spot...

Good!

So then it was time to dig...

And I actually dug some, swear! Did not just man the camera the whole time, I probably dug, three or even four big scoops!

We jumped in the hole, because it was too hard to resist...

Then we found a Grub, which is a word I have yet to use in reference to any other bug before today, but look at this thing...full fledged GRUB.

And then it was up!

The whole process really wasn't as hard as anyone had anticipated, not too bad at all.

Yay for the Love Tree!!

Okay, time to go back to Twilight...slowly getting addicted...

Fridays can't get more happenin' than this!

This town blows a BIG ONE. VERY EXTRA LARGE BIG.

Although, it's not likely I'd spend my Friday any different than this if I was, say, living in some fantastic place with loads of Cool Stuff for Cool People to do, but I doubt it would hurt my situation...that is for shore.*

Lately I've felt like I am just existing....breathing, eating, sleeping, and doing all the necessary life sustaining functions, but nothing more than that. I'd like to blame it on the town, because there really is NOTHING to do here, but I think that'd be too easy.

Whatever it actually is, it's leaving me very unhappy.

Anyways....

I started reading Twilight.


So what!

It's just ALLright so far, I'm not thrilled with it, but it's good enough to keep reading. Really, it's too soon to tell, I'm only three chapters deep, not far enough in to have a solid opinion. The book is very LARGE, and LARGE books usually discourage me, much the same as the state of the inside of my car currently does, both seem to be obstacles too big to tackle and conquer....but yeah, big books....I don't know how I ever finished reading The Meaning Of Night and all 700 pages of it, but it probably had something to do with the fact that I had to keep up with my boyfriend and our Book Club. Yeah, we had a Book Club, we're just soooo adorable like that. Or we were? We should bring the Book Club back, and all it's adorableness.

Tonight sucks ASS, but tomorrow night should prove to be better as I am going to Orlando to visit the Newlyweds and snuggle up good with them in their hot tub (that wasn't supposed to sound so creepy....or was it...), and then Sunday Pete and I are planting their Love Tree (wow that sounds pretty creepy too, I should probably stop myself now).

Hopefully we'll take some pictures and this will all make a lot more sense.

Well...my Friday was LAME, how was yours?

*I know how to spell "sure" I was just going for that rhyming effect, just so...you know...BUT I did have to think very hard today on how to spell "utility"...perhaps my brain has slowed to the speed of this town?

Whitney and Todd's Wedding, a picture recap.

Todd wore some very shnazzy shoes:

Whitney looked absolutely stunning. She was probably annoyed with all the "OH MY GOD YOU LOOK SOOOOO F-ING GOOD!"s I gave her, but seriously she looked amazing. Her father was probably the one who cried the most during the ceremony, but I blameWhitney, again, for looking so beautiful.

Then they were married...

And everyone cried like their most favorite puppy had just been hit with a Mac truck.

Hurray!!

Then Jamie started drinking a little too much wine, to kill some of the nerves over her big speech.

And then she was drunk.

And she was suddenly very drunk, and as she was going over her speech (a few hundred times by herself at the table), she found that the words started to get a little blurry, and her words were a little slurry and oh crap did she have to shove a million bread rolls down her throat to try and sober up.

Notice the crinkled, and yes, ripped speech in my hand, the paper a victim of my overwhelming anxiety.

But then I gave my speech, and did not, hopefully, come off too plastered, and then I could relax and enjoy myself completley.

And then everyone danced!

And they lived happily ever after.

Congrats to Titney!!

Totally excited because....

I HAVE THE NEXT FOUR DAYS OFF!!

and also,

MY BEST FRIEND(S) ARE GETTING MARRIED THIS WEEKEND!

Okay, enough with the caps.

I feel like I have a million things to do before the wedding (probably because I DO have a million things to do) and I haven't started any of them yet. That's okay though, because most are things I can't do until tomorrow anyways. I feel like this weekend has crept up on me so much and even though my friends seem like they've been married for years, they are OFFICIALLY getting married this weekend and it feels very surreal.

They are one of the most well fit couples I bet I'll ever know. It's almost disgusting, but in that "I'm actually only disgusted because I'm really jealous you guys work so well, but not the I want to scratch your eyes out jealousy, but the I'm really happy for you jealousy" kind of way. Yikes, get all that?

Anyways here they are:




Aren't they cute? This picture was take just a couple weekends ago at my 25th birthday/Halloween party, he was a brick layer, she was a, well, isn't it obvious?

These guys and I have been through SO much over the past years, and I've been right there from the start of their relationship(even played a part in their getting together in the first place) so writing my Maid of Honor speech should be a breeze.

You'd think.

I have a lot of stuff written actually, but it's just so hard to really decide on what to say. One version is super sappy and sounds straight out of a Lifetime movie, and one version I'm trying to be quirky and funny, which, I really doubt I can pull off. There's SO much I can say, and so many different ways I can say it, and I CANNOT DECIDE. Crap.

So tonight is dedicated on just that, deciding what stays and what goes, and then maybe even practicing it because HOLY CRAP I HAVE TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF 100+ PEOPLE.

Maybe I should have stolen a Xanax from work just for the occasion (I kid, I kid). But seriously.

Dear Computer,

You are the biggest piece of donkey crap right now. You are taughnting me...making me wait ten years after every click for something to happen. And then? You give me half loaded pages and then freeze up on me!

This isn't 1997! You're supposed to work a LOT faster now, what is your problem?

I hate you.





I'm sorry, that was a little mean. But all I want to do is upload a video of me looking completely retarded doing a little tap combination I made up for tomorrow night's class, and you deny me? And then I had bonus video of my cat Hobbs, rubbing and loving on my tap shoe because it smells oh so gooood, but noooo don't want to load that one either do ya?

Sorry friends no videos for you tonight.

On second thought...a video of me tapping and my cat and a shoe? Maybe Computer you're doing whats best for me after all? Perhaps a little bit of tough love? If that's the case maybe you shouldn't let me post this blog either...

Get faster or I'm destroying you,

Jamie

A Mellow Day

This blog isn't very pretty right now, but the thing is I got a little motivation to change it....and then it died. Which is pretty much what happened to all my Sunday plans today, motivation to do...laundry, dishes, bike ride, shopping....and then? SPLAT. I spent a good part of my day wondering around my two houses (mine and my mom's) wondering what to do? And not coming up with a thing.

I did find enough motivation to go to the grocery store and put together something in the crock pot (a meal inspired by the very crisp air I felt early this morning, walking over to my mom's, coffee cup in hand). So hopefully it will turn out tasty delicious and I can feel some accomplishment from at least that.

Blob. That's what I feel like today.

Ahhhnyways (that's an anyways with a sigh)

My BFF is getting married in like what? SIX days?! And I'm excited about all the festivities and nervous about giving the big Maid of Honor speech. At least I won't be the only one (that means YOU Pete) and at least I'll be several drinks deep to kill some of the nerves. I'm excited though. This week should be lots of fun, to say the least!

On a side note, my niece has started to properly pronounce her "Rs" so "watuur" now sounds like "waterr" and she sounds like a different child. WEIRD.

Quite possibly the most all over the place random blog ever. You be the judge.

I really feel like changing the look of this blog. I do that a lot, want to re-arrange. New hair cut, new hair color, new bedding, new furniture arrangement, new blog look. I have a friend who has not TOUCHED her MySpace layout since the day I haphazardly made it for her three years ago. Back when just changing the background color was totally awesome and "how did you DO that?!". I have NO IDEA how she can do that. I used to change the look of my MySpace more frequently than I would change my bed sheets. I've gotten lazy with MySpace over the years, but I still manage to change the look of it like every couple of months or so. I don't know...anyways, point is I'm feeling the urge to change again, but I'm also feeling the urge to be lazy, so it might take a few more days to build motivation.

I should probably worry less about the look and more about the content of this thing, and maybe upgrade to writing a post at least TWICE a week instead of the once/week I've got going now. I really do wish I could keep up with this blog more, take less effort into thinking whether or not something is worthy of a post, and just write anyways.

I think I'll work on that.

Hanging above the computer are my two sister's and I's high school senior pictures, all 8x10's wooden framed lined all in a row. From the view I have here there appears to be a mysterious George Washington head growing on the side of my sister Coral's face. It looks like the picture has started to stick to the glass, and you can only see it when the light hits it juuust so, but when you can see it, it really looks like freaking George Washington's profile.


Oh and by the way, I turned 25 on Thursday. I'm officially in my twenties, like for real. WEIRD. I got a really pretty ring from Pete and we had a Halloween costume birthday party which was a lot of fun. Maybe one day when my laziness subsides I'll post some pictures.

And I thought the most uncomfortable thing about the night was going to be the suit

What a freakin' loooooooong day.

I got up at 6:30 this morning and did not come home from work until NINE PM.

After work today I had to attend a county medical members meeting, to "network" with some of the local doctors, and had to wear a suit which made me feel like an alien (even though the suit, which was borrowed, fit really, really well). Then I mingled with some old doctors, spouting out random general things about the pharmacy (because do I really know anything medical?) and giggling giggles that I could not even recognize as myself. I felt so uncomfortable, and so out of my element...the suit, the giggles, it was far, far too much.

Everything that was talked about in the meeting was way over my head, somewhere up in the ceiling I would say, not to mention it was booorrring, but my opinion is probably skewed by the whole "I have no idea what these smart people are talking about" thing. From what I could gather, there aren't enough doctors in Florida and insurance companies are the DEVIL and everything is turning to crap. I really don't like seeing this behind the scenes take on the medical field sometimes, I want to just live under a happy cloud thinking doctors are only out to help you get better and that money and politics have nothing to do with whether or not someone deserves medical attention. I guess that's just like how boys don't like hearing about girls and the nitty gritty of their periods or poos?

But I'm home now, Coors Light by my side, and after a few more sips of this beer, it will be off to glorious bed for me.

Goodnight friends...

What's the time? It's time to get ill.

I'm freakin' sweatin' here people. Sweaty dew allllll over my forehead. Is it my mom's thermostat set to a cool 80 degrees? Or maybe it's that I'm still sick? I'm sitting here with my mouth wide open because I can't breath through my nose, which is surprising because there is a constant drip of snot falling from my nostrils. You'd think some air could find it's way in through the snot gaps.

At work I feel like a walking contradiction, shouldn't I be helping people rather than spreading disease? "Here take these pills to get better, oh but wipe that one off, I sneezed on it once... or eight times, Sorry! But wait! Don't leave, I haven't coughed in your face yet!" Maybe this is just a subconscious marketing scheme to draw more business into the pharmacy by sabotaging their health? Damn I'm smart.

On a side note-- Happy Birthday Dad.

I don't know why or when...

But my mom found this tonight going through some of my dad's old work papers. It looks like it was a homework assignment of mine, one where you ask you parents to write about you? I'll never know, but I do know that I'm very happy she found it.

Jamie Rose Lee is the youngest of three children. She has two older sisters, ages 18 and 19. Jamie's most avid hobby is dance. She is a natural performer and is dedicated and professional in and out. Jamie's natural demeanor is to be loving and caring. She openly displays affection; sometimes by cuddling the cats, sometimes by fighting with her sisters. Academically, someone needs to teach this child to spell. She has a vivid imagination, likes to write stories, and does well with math when she applies herself. Jamie watches too much television at times, and at times washes dishes or other chores, even if she doesn't get paid. Jamie gets along well with others, and looks forward to a good school year.

Mixed in with his work papers, she also found little poems or journal entries, old fashion blogs-if you will, and at first I felt a little uncomfortable reading them; I guess because they were stashed with work stuff, and were his private thoughts. I couldn't not read them however, because it was like jumping inside my dad's head, something many daughters have a rare chance at, especially when their father has died.

I want to share one page on here, why, I don't really know. I guess because it makes me proud? Maybe because I read it, realizing that I have felt just the same, just as confused at times.

And so the conflict- I should- but I don't want to right now-why should I? Because I am supposed to. Why am I supposed to? Because it is the right thing to do? Why is it the right thing to do? Because it is productive. Is it productive if it is not a spontaneous action or is it only pretending to be spontaneous? Is it the illusion of the mind that frames it in such black and white sentences, if so, how to dispel the illusion? Should, supposed to, outside sources, again the outward incentive as motivation, habitual reactions, familiar role of suffered heroically persevering, successful image maintenance. Image, should, supposing, constant reinforcement. Role playing. Life as cliche. Gotta be positive. Need a little spare change. Just hold out your hand, it can be arranged. Gotta look a little further, little further down the road. Always staring at your feet, crooked furrow that you hoed. Nothing like sad poetics. Good for a few good chuckles. Goodnight Chuckles.

Can't wait to shave-

Five points off for literalism.

It was written just a couple months after his first diagnosis. I guess just right before he had to shave off his beard for his surgery. My father was a smart man, and I miss him.

And someone still needs to teach me how to spell.

Three blogs in three hours...can you HANDLE that Internet? CAN YOU?

Maybe it's the weather. You know how animals get all frisky and hyper and jump around a lot when the weather cools down? Like the heat was this oppressing weight on their souls, but then when the cool temperatures come in, it's like their souls are free to prance and gallop through the heavenly meadows of bliss and beauty?

Yeah, it's kinda like that.

Florida hasn't seen a fall season in like a million years, and I really hope we get one this year. Because weather like this makes me really happy happy.

So anyways...

He made the bed.

Even if the blue part was where the brown part is supposed to go, he still made it.

Sometimes I can be really meticulous about things (I prefer "meticulous" over "anal"...thanks). Like in writing for example, sometimes I'll get out of bed in the middle of the night to change just one word on a paper. Or like when my room is clean, like it is now, and I have to have the bed made JUST THIS WAY, and if it isn't made JUST THIS WAY I stress a little.

Boyfriend spent the night last night, and I told him asked him very politely to make the bed in the morning before he left. But he said he doesn't make beds, and that maybe he'd throw the sheets on and THATS. ALL. And that maybe he'd shoot his fart gun at the bed and then the bed might make itself. (he didn't quite say that last one, but he could have, he really really could have, he owns a fart gun, semiautomatic, AKA he puts his hands together like you see the 4yr olds do, and shoots it making fart noises. It's fun for all, really.

So tonight I went home, eager to make the unmade bed, even though I'd be sleeping in it in a little over three hours and it would get messed up anyways, and what do you know? It was already made. Pretty.

Don't you just love boyfriends sometimes? I do.

********

I just saw my cat do a somersault. Like a full blown frontal somersault. I must be right about this weather.

Who would have thunk it.

I enjoy working in a pharmacy.

Yes, I have some very mundane tasks to do, like run the register, take the garbage out, and stock the shelves, but at some point our pharmacy will hire a greater number of staff (maybe like myself AND one other person!) and I can give all those jobs to the peeon new person.

Yes, that's right I will make those job assigning decisions because I am just THAT awesome...

Anyways, things I like about work are:

Time goes by SUPER fast. Time machine fast.

I don't really have to deal with people. Like customers. I would say about 10% of my time is spent talking to customers, and after working at a place which required a constant smile strapped on my face, 10% sounds pretty wonderful.

The pills are really pretty! I know that sounds like a super drugy thing to say..."Ooohh look at all the cooolorss (drool sliding down chin)" but they are! I love to open a bottle to see what little surprises are hiding in there waiting for me. Oh look! This one is light pink! OOOOH this one is TEAL! This one looks like a tiny bastketball...how cute!

I've been forced to use my brain again. Although, I can't say I'm too thrilled to be using MATH again...percentages, what?

I get to mix crap in beakers and junk. And then mix them all together using a super fancy machine and then the medicine cream I MADE helps some little old lady with her hip pain. Pretty cool right?

I don't have to think about work after I leave. At work I'm busy and don't think about life, and then I live life and don't think about work. It's a nice trade off.

I get to wear pajamas to work...well not quite, but pretty dang close. Scrubs are my new best friends. Although, what is up with all those UGLY TERRIBLE scrubs that are out there? Ones with like teddy bears and football helmets and whateverthehell else on them? Why would anyone want to walk around looking like really tacky wrapping paper?



I like my job a lot right now, but if in three months I'm walking around sportin' a lollipops and hearts bandana to match my lollipop and hearts scrubs, someone please slap me? Okay?

Agalbalala!!! It's that time again!!! Exclimation point!

Just 1 hour 45 minutes....1 hour 45 minutes until my best friends and I reunite. These best friends live inside my TV of course, but I don't let that affect our relationship. Really, it's been going great. We've had what like...four awesome seasons together? Onto number five, and I can't wait! I've arranged complete silence from my family from 9-10:00 so I can make sure I don't miss one quip! Quip....that's a great word...quip.

Anyways so yeah! 1 hour 45 minutes and counting!!! It's actually like 1 hour 42 now!!!

Few Things

I always ramble off random things everytime I greet my cat, but yesterday I think I topped them all: "Who's the best kitty puppy in the whole world, in the history of the United States??" Really?

Lately I've been listening to music that sounds like the inside of a 1982 computer. And I like it.

I burnt my fingers yesterday on a tea kettle....yeah? a tea kettle, NO, YOU'RE a Grandma, GRANDMA!

I was sent home from work with an instruction manual for an unguator and I have to read it today. Maybe work will be like chemistry class, but only the fun parts of chemistry class? I hope so.

Wait, I never took chemistry.....crap.

I am determined to get both my room AND my car cleaned. And keep them clean. For like three days, at least.

Pete will be 42, 15 years from today...weird. Happy Birthday Grandpa! wanna borrow my tea kettle?

Another Page....

The ballroom studio and I are no more.

No more "quick quick slows" and unpaid late Friday nights, and no more laughing with Rainman and his shimmies and shakes. I tried to adjust myself to the lifestyle required, and tried to get more lessons to up my pay check, but this sort of choking feeling started to take hold, and I felt like I was stuck, and I wasn't happy. I was hungry. Because I never got home before 10:00pm and was too tired to cook and eat. I missed relaxing and watching TV, and spending more time with my family and boyfriend, and wanted more time for chatting on the phone with my friends I miss so much.

And then the choking feeling was replaced with some hope, after I was offered a job with a new pharmacy business.

I thought quitting the studio was going to be a long, drawn out process, and I was scared poop-less to tell my manager. But I told her, and it wasn't bad, and they sent me home that day with a cleared schedule. Quick and painless, like a Band Aid.

Working there had it's up's, and I'm glad I did it, because I really wanted to be a ballroom instructor for a long time. I got to experience it, and even if it was short lived, I still did it!

So now I'm trying out the regular working world, and it's been a bit overwhelming some days, (yesterday), but today it was much better. I complain, but only because that's what I do sometimes, when really I know stretching myself further and further is only helping me. Yesterday my manager was "testing my temper", and I left work feeling incompetent and frustrated. Today was a better day, and I'm home now feeling accomplished, and hopeful.

What a difference a day makes.

Ignoring the football on TV

And doing this instead...

Uh Thank You Very Much!

Pete changed his blog name from petegrein.tumblr.com to "The Daily Grein". I just wanted to claim credit on this even though he doesn't remember when I suggested just that very name for his blog. But I did. 

So, you know, just for the record...

Cupeth Overfloweth

I want my life back. I'm at the studio 54 (!!!!!) hours this week. I go many nights in a row without eating dinner because when I get home I don't exactly feel like cooking, and I'm usually rushing over to The Boyfriend's House or rushing to try and fit any kind of activity in the very few hours of free time I have. I've been wayyy more emotional than I'm used to, (Hi, I cried like four times yesterday), and I'm completely out of touch with my friends. I haven't talked to my sister Coral in a long time either, and she's off on some wild honey mood adventure across the country and I'm out of the loop and feel sad.

My best friend Whitney and I sent each other TWO emails recently, catching up on A LOT of missed time, and after noticing how very long they were, I copied and pasted them into word just out of curiosity and.... SEVEN PAGES LONG. Two emails! And we were nearly skimming the surface of all our recent events. This is not acceptable. Something's gotta give.

Somehow I made it through my day...

I knew yesterday, that today was set to be a doozy, but did I prepare myself? Ha, right... I got home from work last night, and could have prepared my lessons for today then, got all the combinations and the music ready, but you see, I needed my Boyfriend Time. Boyfriend time is very important to me because if Jamie was without Boyfriend Time, Jamie really would go insane, if she hasn't already (Hi third person!). And Boyfriend Time lately means that I do not go home until the next day, which when you factor in Coffee Time, means I get home just a couple hours before I need to leave for work. Couple of hours = not enough time to prepare three very involved dance classes. Hence all the hair pulling and near tear moments earlier this morning.

In addition to these three very involved dance classes I have the ballroom studio to think about as well. Progress check Friday, showcase on Saturday (still don't know what I'm wearing as costumes), and 18 lessons to prepare for my week. I've never stretched myself so far before, never had to make commitments, so thinking commitments were a breeze, I booked myself full. And I'm about to be fuller.

As long as I can still fit in that Boyfriend Time, I'll be Okay. I just wish I had Friend Time too(Sorry Whit for not answering gmail chat, was mid-breakdown and time crunched!). Dinner Time would be good too, and Time For Spending Money That Does Not Need To Be Spent On Bills (I wish the time even existed sometimes for me)...the list could continue all night.

Officially Out of Touch with MTV

I am officially old, and kicked out of "cool girl" status.

(who am I kidding, I've been kicked out for years now)

I watched a little of the VMAs last night, initially to catch Britney Spears, wondering if she was going to suck balls as bad as she did last year. They hyped her "performance" up so much, and she comes on stage to say two words, and that's it? Are we supposed to be thrilled that she can go on stage and make it through 30 seconds of talking without slurring her words, or using an accent, or falling asleep mid sentence?

Wow! Good Job Britney, you did it! Here's a Special Persons Award.


Few more questions from the half hour that I sat through...

Who was this guy?

WTF? The hair? The pants? Have we time traveled back to 80's hair band days?

Maybe I should know who he is, really I don't recognize anyone "famous" anymore, but the audience didn't seem to know who he was either. There's nothing worse than that awkward silence you hear after a bad joke, it makes me feel all skweemy (like that word don't ya) inside and I don't like it.

And who are these boys?

And why do I have a sudden urge to smack some puppies and watch Sesame Street? Word Of The Day today kids is LAME!!!

How did this one not get his ass kicked here? Although he does look more than a little nervous. Real life Monsters?!?! He'll never sleep again.

I know I'm probably just really old, and so NOT cool anymore, but really? I think I'm much happier living on this side of reality.

Possibly the Best Playlist ever created.

Every week I have a new "theme" for our Cardio class. This week the theme was "Kickin' it Old School". And for your enjoyment I have the playlist here, via video, because the songs always sound better when you can watch the sweet dance moves to match (many of which were used in our class last night...of course!).

Fun Stuff.

Shot out to the Co-Ro!!

My sister turned the big 3 0 today (well technically yesterday, but I haven't gone to bed yet so it's still "today", plus she's over in California so it's most definetly still the 29th there) and it's crazy to think that both my sisters are in their 30s now, and I'll be 25 (twenty FIVE?!) this year!

Oh how times flies...

I can still remember her when she looked like this...

This is of course a lie, because I was probably about .5 years old when this picture was taken, but still, wasn't she cute?

I can however, remember when we used to play games and when she would flip me around rag doll style, in the process managing to drop me on my head on two occasions, one in the kitchen and one outside (two weeks later the doctor found a tiny stick lodged in my head. Yes, a stick... In my head).

My most favorite game of ours was one called "Princess". In this game her bestfriend and her (her bestfriend and she?) would pamper me all day, bring me lunch in bed, and fluff my pillows when I rang the tiny bell I was equiped with. Sounds pretty fantastic? It was. Clever babysitting trick too, leave the kid in bed while you and your friends hang out all day...did I mention my sister was in gifted?

Happy Birthday Coral!! I miss youuuu!

Death by tire?

I'm pretty sure I killed a baby alligator last night. I was driving to my boyfriend's house, down a very dark road and I see a stick? right in line with my tire. Seconds before I ran it over and heard the most gruesomest crunch of my life, I realized that it was no stick, but a baby alligator.

What. the. hell.

Only in Florida, does road kill contain the words: baby and alligator.

Alligators are so scary, and they EAT people, and I have so much respect for alligators that I can't even eat their tails in restaurants, yet I am responsible for taking one's life, a baby at that? Freakin' A yo! That sucks balls!

But this morning driving home, I couldn't find the thing. I watched the opposite side of the road the whole way (I'm such a safe driver, who needs to look straight ahead?), and saw no sign of an alligator corpse.

Maybe it was a stick? A very baby alligator like stick, that made one horrible, horrible, crunch as I ran over it? Let's hope so.

Boyfriends...

...are good for smacking some sense into you, even if it hurts a little to hear it.

As you can see from my last post, I've done a pretty good job of putting myself, and most importantly someone else, in a pretty tough spot. I have a BIG tendency to push things off. Bills, doctor appointments, car repairs, anything that makes me frown and itch my eyes in worry, gets pushed back and pushed back until a small little problem (that could have been easily resolved) snow balls into major stresses. This is something I'll probably always have to work on, and I think it's more important now that it ever was before, because now people other than myself are affected. I don't want to be someone you can't rely on, and right now I think that's exactly who I am. I need to fix this.

I talked to my boyfriend this morning, hoping to hear that he'd be on my side to quit my current studio, and work on getting another job. His response was that 1. Good luck finding another job right now (which is true) 2. You can't quit a job before you get one to replace it (yeah, that's true too) and 3. You'd be quitting a job for negatives in exchange for another job which would, seeing how the other job would most likely be in a restaurant, come with another list of negatives which would probably be worse (.....good point). What he didn't mention, but what I thought about after hanging up with him, was that I've put a lot of work into the studio I'm at now, and even though it's hard sometimes (and smelly) I don't want to give up.

My manager said they'd be willing to work something out with the other studio, and I'm hoping they can; then the negative situation I've put everyone into (including myself), turns into a positive. All I can try to do at this point is learn from this, and be smarter and more considerate when the next obstacle comes my way.

Yesterday left me shocked, molested, and wedged in a pickle.

Yes. All of that in one day.

Let's start with shocked.

I was shocked. Literally. I walked into the dark teacher's lounge of the studio yesterday morning, first one there (as always), and blindly searched for the light switch. The studio is "under construction" (I say that in quotes because it's more like it was just never finished), and so there is no face plate on the light switch. My fingers sort of went past the light switch, into the wall with all the open wires and crap, and ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZUUUUUUUUMMMMMMPPPP!! I screamed and took my hand away (duh) because it scared me, not really because it hurt. Then I stood there for a few seconds, questioning if I was really just electrocuted? Yes, I was. Slightly. Cool? Not cool?

So like ten minutes go by and then I get molested. I was sitting on the toilet, mid pee, and I feel this curious trickle of water? A string? move across my leg. Wait, no, that's a rat sized COCKROACH! On my inner thigh, moving upward. I jump up, mid pee (and consequently find out I have a great ability to stop peeing in emergencies) and start freaking the f*ck out. Swatting my legs, screaming bloody murder, jumping up and down like I'm on hot coals. The rat sized roach runs away and leaves me forever traumatized.

Now the pickle part.

Remember yesterday's post? How I was all nervous about telling my work I had to work at another studio on Tuesday nights? Yeah, didn't go too well.

Here are my options:

• Work as an independant contractor where I will have to find my own students, and rent the floor from them for 25$ a lesson.
• Have the other studio (my "home" studio) hire me as teacher from my current studio and pay a lot more than originally planned.
• Blow off my "home" studio and put them in a really shitty situation, which would be all my fault.

The problem is I don't really like any of those options. What do I do??? Urghghghgh

Tap Dance and Skillet Lickers

Starting next Tuesday, I'll be teaching three dance classes at my home studio.

I call it my "home" studio not because it's located in my home (I wish!), but because it's the studio I grew up in. I had my very first dance lesson there (wearing one very large over sized T-shirt which got me in trouble, and a sweet pair of daisy duke biker shorts), laughed through various slumber parties there (which always involved some late night dancing), and it was there I lived through a million other memories and monuments moments (too many to even attempt to count). So it's pretty exciting for me, coming all full circle and crap, and hopefully the girls don't pull the same kind of harassment that we used to (although I don't happen to dance like it's the 80's, sport hot pink lipstick on my teeth, and wear my shorts up to my bra, so maybe I'll be safe).

Anyways I'm a little rusty on my tap skills, and apparently these girls are pretty good and I don't want to look dumb, so I strapped on my taps and practiced this morning.

Which brings me to the first point of my post:

It's really hard to find tap music!

Or I just can't tap and I'm in more trouble than having to find good music.

Desperate to find some music I searched through my Mom's iTunes list (isn't she super kewl), and this brings me to the second point of my post:

My Mom plays Old Time Traditional music, folky bluegrassy kind of stuff, and listens to some of the most random/funny named bands I've ever heard.

And for you, a list..

Uncle Gizmo
The Skillet Lickers
Skeeter and the Skidmarks
Sam McGee Red Mountain White Trash
Polecats
The Red Clay Ramblers
The Reckless Ramblers
Murphy Gribble
Mudcats
Mississippi Possum Hunters
Mando Mafia
Jelly Roll Morton and his Red Hot Peppers
Hooiser Hot Shots
Hilbillies from Mars
Grinnell Giggers
The Freight Hoppers
Freeny's Barn Dance Band
Floyd Ming and his Pep Steppers
Dixieland Jug Blowers
Dill and his Dill Pickles
The Clumsy Lovers
The Carolina Tar Heels
Blind Pete
The Beau Hunks
The Bad Livers

Although the bands are humorous I don't think I'll be able to tap to them (I could probably clog...nah), so I guess I'll have to take my tap hunt somewhere else...

Oh and I still have to tell my work about teaching these classes and that I won't be available Tuesday nights, EVER, and I'm having flash backs to when I had to tell my Mom I tried smoking in 7th grade (it was a scene straight off a cheesy PSA, I took only one puff and didn't inhale). But seriously I've got a lot of anxiety about telling them...just have to go in there and get it over with already. I have no choice, because classes start next week!

I HAVE TO GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE OR IWILLNEEDTOKILL!!!

That one thought as been screaming through my mind for the past, say, 48 hours or so.

As I've been tucked away inside my home, safe and sound, and slowly loosing my sanity, Fay has been living up to it's old lady's name, moving as painfully slow as possible. What an asshole.

Although Fay has given me the gift of two days off from work, I'm really not that happy. Yesterday (first day off) I was all "yay! tropical storm party! woo hoo!!" but then a few slowly sipped glasses of wine and a movie later, my friend Heather and I stared at each other bouncing back and forth a "So, what should we do now?" "I don't know, what do you want to do?" and that was the extent of our little "party". We so crazy. It also didn't help that the "tropical storm" was just a rainy day at best, not much action at all.

Things got a little more exciting early this morning however, when I woke up to the noise of 60 MPH winds outside my window. Unfortunately the excitement didn't last long, by 9:00 we were right smack dab in the eye of the storm, all things quiet. I was convinced however, that the high winds would return at about 8:00 or so tonight (I trust the weather guy a little too much), so I talked my manager into letting me stay home another day because "I'll have to drive home late, and I can't drive in 60 MPH winds, and the bridges might be closed, and YOU DON'T WANT ME TO DIE DO YOU?". So students were called and things were rescheduled and now I have one seriously loaded Saturday (but no lost hours...yippee!) and wouldn't you know it, we sat in the flippin' eye ALL DAY LONG. No rain, no wind, no need for the earlier dramatics. So now I feel pretty stupid... how was I to know though?

I mean look at the beach this morning!

Pretty exciting right? It really wasn't as dangerous as it might appear in the video, promise. ;)

So, back to work tomorrow and PLEASE GOD let this thing be gone by Saturday!!

Heavy Eyelids

I am EXHAUSTED.

I feel so, so tired right now. So tired in fact that even though I have a few pictures from last Saturday night (courtesy of a very nice student of mine) I feel too lazy to post them. They're in my car anyways. I'm so tired I'm typing this with my eyes closed and my head on my knee................................. ................

What?! Huh?! Oh yeah, typing post....(sorry fell asleep a little). Yishe!

I don't know why I feel so tired, I know that I couldn't get to bed last night and that I stayed up until 2:30? tossing and turning. So maybe that's it. Anyway here's my remaining agenda for the night:

1. Call Boyfriend

2. Shower

3. Book

4. Bed


Goodnight!

Catch Up

I really need the Internet. Ohh how I miss the Internet. I had a post ready for tonight, prepared for you and written in my brain, but when I sat down to type it I just....couldn't.

Why you ask?

Only because my lovely sister and mother have Very Loud Voices and are always in an argument about ANYTHING. And I don't have internet at my house, and so this is my only option. Tonight the Loud Voices were about how my niece cannot chew with her mouth closed and whether or not Canoeing was an Olympic sport (it is).

Oh well, maybe I can write tomorrow, and I guess I can use this time to tell you that my show on Saturday, despite my doubts, was a lot of fun. My partner and I did not win, but he performed without making that many mistakes! And I got to wear a sexy red Latin dress. Yes!

My wedding couple on Sunday wasn't so bad either, I didn't practice great time management, but they had fun. I have another wedding couple this month and I think I may experience bleeding from the ears because I have to choreograph their dance to this song*. I almost stabbed my eyeballs out with the heel of my ballroom shoe after only the first chorus in the hopes that the pain from my ears would subside in comparison. Do you know how many times I am going to have to hear this song? I don't even want to think about it.

Since this weekend my attitude over my job has risen again and I finally undertand the cliche of "roller coaster ride" feeling extreme highs and lows every few days or so. I have my ankle taped right now because it has decided it is no longer my friend (I'm guessing because I force it and it's sister to support me as I dance in heels for 5+ hours a day). In talk of all things annoying, my dance dreams still keep my mind way too active for a normal night's sleep and my manager told me it's only going to get worse**. Poop.


* Sorry to all you country folk out there, but I apparently have an allergic reaction to deep vocal twang and easy rhyming cheesy lyrics because listening to country music makes my skin crawl.

**I'm surprised how pestimistic this post turned out, I've been in a much better mood this week, promise!

Home from work, time to whine down...

Eh. So. Tired.

I just want it to be Sunday, well actually...scratch that, Monday would be much better. Sunday I meet my first wedding couple at work and I'm more than a little unprepared for that, but that's another post for another day (Sunday).

Tomorrow I am performing in Daytona Beach's version of Dancing With The Stars, and I can't say I'm too thrilled about it. When I agreed to step in and take the place of my manager (who originally was going to do it until she got sick), I had no idea the scale of this production was going to be so massive. Video shoot? Interview? Competing with seven other couples and being critiqued by a panel of judges in front of the entire audience?! No idea.

I feel 100% unprepared, unenthused, and unconfident. I think my positive attitude made a slight appearence at some point, but was ultimately smooshed to bits by my ridiculously pestimistic partner (who's best response to my usual "Don't worry we're going to do great, it will be fun!" was "Eh, we'll get through it").

Oh and best of all? In doing this I am missing out on two of my best friend's house warming party. And all the beer and laughs that go along with any party at their house. And I never see them anymore :(

Joy.

Maybe I'll feel better about it tomorrow, when my tired stinging eyeballs have had some rest.

Longing for Loins (of the pork kind of course)

What's the deal with me always trying to start these things off with "So," that's a really annoying way to start a post, isn't' it? I should work on that...

So, I'm eating some broccoli and cheese soup and it is most definitely NOT hitting the spot. This is more disappointing to me than you may realize, because food and I haven't been on the best of terms lately. We don't really get to see each other as much as we'd like to. I'm in the studio a bit more than I think I'd like to be, and this has left very little opportunity for food and I to have some good quality time together. Sure, we might sneak in a little chicken nugget here and there, and I did enjoy those left over burgers last night, but our time in the kitchen has dwindled. We never cook anymore. And we used to cook three, four, times a week! Sometimes even twice in one day! And now? Maybe once a month. Oh what I wouldn't give to go back to one of our finest nights, chicken cutlets, where I took my time and was patient with food, and in return food made my taste buds sore! A most satisfying and exhilarating sensation filled my mouth with every bite! Afterwards, food cozy in my belly, we cuddle up and watch some TV before going to bed, happy and peaceful.

I'm sorry I've been so distant food, maybe we can just cook later at night? Morning? We'll find the time, where there's a hungry belly, there's a way.

How NOT to dance Samba

After writing my last post, I jumped on youtube searching for dance videos...because hey! I finally have the free time to! I found this video labed "How to dance the Samba" so I checked it out, and I may now have nightmares for the next few months....

If you can't watch the whole thing at least skip to the end!

Ballroom Beatdown

I'm a little scared here. You see, two men I teach at the studio have their master lessons with this guy today, and I'll be on the lesson with them as partner. Now, these are THEIR lessons, but I will still be asked to dance, and I really, really, really hope I'm not asked to do a pattern or variation I don't know.

He seems pretty tough...check him out...





There are just so many things I can see going wrong today, and I hope I come back tonight happy that none of them happened....wish me luck!

Thomas Jefferson was a total Sexpot

Pete and I just started watching the HBO's John Adams a couple of nights ago, and last night we finished part II of the seven part mini series. When he first suggested we watch it, my first reaction was "Watching a movie about our 'Founding Fathers'?? Okay Grandpa, but should we stop at the diner for the Early Bird Special before hand?" but since I've been on this little history kick lately I agreed. Plus he said he'd seen the previews and he thought it looked good, and for the most part he's right about movies (with the minor exception of any horror, body mutilating, torture movie...seriously Pete, you scare me sometimes...). So we started watching.

Teachers totally need to scratch any history lesson about this time off the lesson plan and just show this series instead because it's mucho more entertaining than the texts books and you get a sense for what it was like at the time. Of course if I was still in 7th grade (or whenever you learn about the birth of our nation) I doubt I would watch with as much attention as I do now, and I'd probably be three pages deep into a note about Hottie McHottie pants who sits at the front of the bus, but still, I'm sure some geek would enjoy it and the rest of us could just laugh at all their funny looking wigs and that would be fine too.

Anyways watching this started to get the most exciting when all the super stars started making their appearance. Benny Frank, good ol' George Washington (who was apparently an amazon man, really super tall) and of course Thomas Jefferson. Man, lemme tell ya, Tommy J. was a total FOX! Or I mean the character who plays him in the series...whatever. He was sitting there listening to John Adams and Benjamen Franklin read over his draft for the constitution and Tommy J. was all cocky and layed back and like "Each word was a chosen precise decision" and I was like "Damn right Tommy J. stand up for your work!" and I think it was his arrogance mixed with his purple-ish pink satin shirt that made him look like the Colonial times Prince(the singer not the son of a king) is what really did me in....Whew! Cold shower time!

I mean check him out!



Stud right?

I think I'll suggest a Purple-ish pink satin Colonial times shirt for Pete, or maybe I could just settle for the wig. We'll see.