All and all, since I've started working at the studio it's been a great experience. I've had some hard days, but during those days I just remind myself that my job is DANCING; at which point any negative thoughts promptly disappear, and I slap myself in the face. I mean a little over a month ago I was picking up after people and cleaning slosh buckets (and we all know nothing labeled as "slosh" can be pretty, right?), so seriously I should be nothing but grateful for this change in employment.
Not only am I free of slosh, I'm learning so much there too! It's just like being back in school: I have a dance session in the morning, then a meeting where I always fight to keep my eyes open, then lunch, then more training, usually an hour lecture on either the history of the dances or procedures and policies, and then I get ready for my classes that day (going over "patterns" aka combinations of steps) and then I have to teach everything I just learned with the confidence of the "professional ballroom dancer" that I am (oh and make lots of cheesy jokes and smile and get the student to enjoy their lesson...satisfaction guaranteed!). It's been a challenge and in some cases I've been pushing myself out of my comfort zone (teaching an intro class to a group of about 25 plus strangers).
All of these changes and challenges are welcomed, but there is one side of this job that is not welcomed and that I want out IMMEDIATELY.
Dreams. My waking hours have turned out to be less stressful than the time that I am at rest! What the hell is that about? All night long I dream about what I did that day, what I need to do the next day, and what I need to learn and haven't really gotten yet. There is so much stress in my sleep! Last night I would force myself awake and talk myself back into a sleep where dancing was no where to be seen....except it would creep back in before I knew it! I wish there was some kind of pill you could take for dreamless nights; all I want is for soothing, all encompassing darkness in my sleep...is that so much to ask?
I know I'm probably not alone in these stressful work related dreams, but what do I do about it? I mean ALL NIGHT LONG, come on people!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Wordle
Pretty cool right? Can't read the words? Click to make it bigger dummy! Jokes, you're no dummy...you're just slow. Speaking of slow people, it was really hard for me to get this on here for some reason....maybe because it's 9:32 in the MORNING and I've already coffeed and showered, go me! My plan is to wake up early on the weekdays so that I have some kind of a day before going into work at 1pm. Sounds nice right? Starting work at one in the afternoon? It kinda sucks honestly because I don't get home until like 9:30 at night! Which is why I forced myself up today even though I felt like I looked like this. And I pretty much did, but here I am awake! Now what to do? Suggestions?
Go to Wordle.com and try putting your own words into the nifty little java application (at least I think that's what it is?)...but yeah, go now!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Sneezes and Stresses
I do believe that in the past mmm five days or so, I have sneezed at least 250 times. No joke. For those of you who know me, you shouldn't be too surprised by that number, knowing that every "sneeze" contains about five sneezes total. But still, that is a lot of effing sneezing. After work today (it still feels very weird to call what I do "work") I went to the store to buy some Airborne, nervous that these frequent sneezes are an early sign of a sickness I do NOT want to catch.
I've been at the studio for exactly one week and two days and although I hardly know the first few steps of two or three ballroom dances, I will soon be teaching even the most advanced students. These students are FAR more educated in ballroom than I, and somehow I have to act teacher to them and pull off the look of knowing what I'm doing, when really I don't have the slightest idea. Kinda like a second grader teaching nuclear physics to a group of grad students.
Under normal circumstances I would have to have several training sessions, go in front of a panel of judges and receive my certification in order to teach these people. But these are not normal circumstances, seeing how our main instructor has either a cracked rib or pleurisy and can no longer teach. She's been sick since before I started working there and has passed it on to another instructor there at the studio, who came every day last week, oozing sickness from every one of his pores, but who was too ill today to come in. It must be bad.
Insert airborne purchase.
Some of the students she's been working with are her partners in various competitions and performances. So, not only do I have to teach these students, I have to learn their dances and either compete or perform in only a matter of a few weeks.
I'm a little stressed.
It's not too bad though, if I have all these lessons I will be making good money and hopefully I'll be able to cross "being dirt broke and owing money every which a way" off my list of stresses.
And this can just take it's place, it's a much better stress to have, so I'm happy.
(or at least that's what I keep telling myself)
I've been at the studio for exactly one week and two days and although I hardly know the first few steps of two or three ballroom dances, I will soon be teaching even the most advanced students. These students are FAR more educated in ballroom than I, and somehow I have to act teacher to them and pull off the look of knowing what I'm doing, when really I don't have the slightest idea. Kinda like a second grader teaching nuclear physics to a group of grad students.
Under normal circumstances I would have to have several training sessions, go in front of a panel of judges and receive my certification in order to teach these people. But these are not normal circumstances, seeing how our main instructor has either a cracked rib or pleurisy and can no longer teach. She's been sick since before I started working there and has passed it on to another instructor there at the studio, who came every day last week, oozing sickness from every one of his pores, but who was too ill today to come in. It must be bad.
Insert airborne purchase.
Some of the students she's been working with are her partners in various competitions and performances. So, not only do I have to teach these students, I have to learn their dances and either compete or perform in only a matter of a few weeks.
I'm a little stressed.
It's not too bad though, if I have all these lessons I will be making good money and hopefully I'll be able to cross "being dirt broke and owing money every which a way" off my list of stresses.
And this can just take it's place, it's a much better stress to have, so I'm happy.
(or at least that's what I keep telling myself)
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Well, Hello there! How ya been?
So, I've kind-of totally slacked off from blogging since moving back to That Fun Little Town Where Everything Closes At Nine PM, Florida. I don't have internet at my house and although I can jump online at my mom's, it's not often I can jump on, without jumping off 2.5 minutes later. And oh it hurts so bad to not have one of my bffs (the internet) there whenever I need him, it hurts, it hurts!
Time has also been an issue; I've been busy and this is really a new concept for me, so having to readjust to not having eight hours (or 24, whatev) of free time a day is tricky. My motivation to write has dwindled too, but I'm trying to work on that and get back into exercising my brain a bit. Anyways, I'm hungry and I think there's a bagel somewhere around here looking for me, so it's time to leave. I'll try my best to be back soon, and to actually say something worth reading (no promises).
Time has also been an issue; I've been busy and this is really a new concept for me, so having to readjust to not having eight hours (or 24, whatev) of free time a day is tricky. My motivation to write has dwindled too, but I'm trying to work on that and get back into exercising my brain a bit. Anyways, I'm hungry and I think there's a bagel somewhere around here looking for me, so it's time to leave. I'll try my best to be back soon, and to actually say something worth reading (no promises).
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Connecticut and Chocolate Orgasms
This week the Lee sisters are on a vacation of Epic Proportions. My sister Coral is getting married 30 days from today and so we're here in Connecticut for all the fun pre-wedding celebrations; a bachelorette party on Saturday and a massive Jack and Jill wedding shower on Sunday.
We flew in today and although I have been enjoying my recent move back to the beach in Florida, I have to say I really like it up here. Everything is so lush and green and pretty and looks just like a scene off of some kind of religious jigsaw puzzle grandmas glue together and frame. Bea-U-tiful. It's also nice to see such unique bars and restaurants (which are not the same-old corporate crappy places of central Florida and which also lack the chain smoking, skeezo alcoholics who seem to dominate the Flagler Beach nightlife scene) on nearly every street corner you pass.
Today after spending some time at Stamford's "Alive at Five" weekly festival (Blind Melon preformed) we stopped at Chocopologies to sample their world famous choco treats. This place has the second best rated chocolate truffle in the WORLD. Yes, that's right, the WORLD. Chocopologies is also home to "La Madeline au Truffe", the world's most expensive chocolate truffle, weighing only 1.9 ounces.
How much would one of those itty bitty bites cost you ask? Oh just a measly TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS! But after trying some of their truffles and also some of a brownie sent straight from the angels of Heaven's gate today, I believe without a doubt that itty bitty bite would be more than worth it. I'm not a huge fan of chocolate, but OH MY GOD, after taking a bite of this chocolate you'll be forced to close your eyes and make "oohs and ahhhs" that will inevitably have you stared at like a freak with a chocolate fetish. I doubt you'll mind the stares though, I know I didn't.
We flew in today and although I have been enjoying my recent move back to the beach in Florida, I have to say I really like it up here. Everything is so lush and green and pretty and looks just like a scene off of some kind of religious jigsaw puzzle grandmas glue together and frame. Bea-U-tiful. It's also nice to see such unique bars and restaurants (which are not the same-old corporate crappy places of central Florida and which also lack the chain smoking, skeezo alcoholics who seem to dominate the Flagler Beach nightlife scene) on nearly every street corner you pass.
Today after spending some time at Stamford's "Alive at Five" weekly festival (Blind Melon preformed) we stopped at Chocopologies to sample their world famous choco treats. This place has the second best rated chocolate truffle in the WORLD. Yes, that's right, the WORLD. Chocopologies is also home to "La Madeline au Truffe", the world's most expensive chocolate truffle, weighing only 1.9 ounces.
How much would one of those itty bitty bites cost you ask? Oh just a measly TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS! But after trying some of their truffles and also some of a brownie sent straight from the angels of Heaven's gate today, I believe without a doubt that itty bitty bite would be more than worth it. I'm not a huge fan of chocolate, but OH MY GOD, after taking a bite of this chocolate you'll be forced to close your eyes and make "oohs and ahhhs" that will inevitably have you stared at like a freak with a chocolate fetish. I doubt you'll mind the stares though, I know I didn't.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Fun in the Sun
Seeing how in the sun, my skin fares about as well as tissue paper would in a toaster oven, I am no stranger to sunburns. Sunburns that leave you with sleepless nights, tossing and turning as the soft fabric of your clothes become more like sandpaper, and with every inch you move you feel great and unimaginable agony. Sunburns that make you freeze and send goose bumps crawling across you, even though your skin is radiating enough heat to keep a small family warm. Yes, I know those sunburns and I know them well.
The first really bad sunburn I can remember was in 5th grade. Actually, it was my very first day of fifth grade. There I was, alone at the lunch table, my jean fabric "Blossom" hat framing my bright red freckled face, eating my turkey sandwich and cheese crackers all alone. And this sunburn was bad, believe me. I had spent the entire day before at the beach, imagining how great my tan would look as I walked into school on that first day of fifth grade-- the highest and coolest of all elementary grades. Little did I know my skin had other plans in mind. Plans that would leave me wishing I could skip lunch (and recess for that matter) and hide and cry in the bathroom. I mean the first day of a new class without the comfort of last year's friends is traumatic enough, but with the added stares from classmates ranging from shock to sympathy, it was all too much.
This latest sunburn is probably the most unique of all my sunburns, only existing in very special places. I went to the beach a few days ago and before I left my house I prepared. I must have used like half a bottle of SPF 15, taking time to make sure I it got everywhere.
Well, apparently it did NOT go everywhere. My thighs? They're ok. My shins, calves? They're good too. But it that tiny little region in between, the land of the knees, there was no sunscreen. Damnit! Oh, and right around my bikini line too, yeah that's a fun little spot, lemme tell ya. So now I have really, really red knees, and it's so, so painful. I put some Vaseline on them, but now I just have really, really red greasy knees and it's not much better.
At least it was only my knees, because if this burn had been everywhere, I would have been cooked for sure. And I have to say, I don't really think this look is so attractive...
The first really bad sunburn I can remember was in 5th grade. Actually, it was my very first day of fifth grade. There I was, alone at the lunch table, my jean fabric "Blossom" hat framing my bright red freckled face, eating my turkey sandwich and cheese crackers all alone. And this sunburn was bad, believe me. I had spent the entire day before at the beach, imagining how great my tan would look as I walked into school on that first day of fifth grade-- the highest and coolest of all elementary grades. Little did I know my skin had other plans in mind. Plans that would leave me wishing I could skip lunch (and recess for that matter) and hide and cry in the bathroom. I mean the first day of a new class without the comfort of last year's friends is traumatic enough, but with the added stares from classmates ranging from shock to sympathy, it was all too much.
This latest sunburn is probably the most unique of all my sunburns, only existing in very special places. I went to the beach a few days ago and before I left my house I prepared. I must have used like half a bottle of SPF 15, taking time to make sure I it got everywhere.
Well, apparently it did NOT go everywhere. My thighs? They're ok. My shins, calves? They're good too. But it that tiny little region in between, the land of the knees, there was no sunscreen. Damnit! Oh, and right around my bikini line too, yeah that's a fun little spot, lemme tell ya. So now I have really, really red knees, and it's so, so painful. I put some Vaseline on them, but now I just have really, really red greasy knees and it's not much better.
At least it was only my knees, because if this burn had been everywhere, I would have been cooked for sure. And I have to say, I don't really think this look is so attractive...
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