St. Patrick's Day

That's right it's St. Paddy's Day. It is the first time in YEARS that I'm at work on the 17th. On the 17th of March I'm usually running back and forth between two to three Irish pubs in town as the only dancer over 21 in the band. Two dances per show, 4 to 6 shows during the day. This year however...... nada. I wasn't asked in time. I didn't take to day off and no shows were gone over with me to prepare for this crazy day.

It's good and bad, I think. It's usually a lot of fun. The drunks are funny and dancing an angry jig at/for drunks is always a good time. I'm a fan of picking one that's close to dance for/at and watching their reaction. However, the driving and running and dancing is usually hard on me. My mom usually takes the day off to run with me and help with shoe changes and having the car ready to go to get me to the next place. Also, beer on leather shoes sucks! I get to save a pair of shoes this year, so that's pretty nice.

I guess, all in all, I'm missing it this year. Next year I'll make sure to mention something, that way I'm not sitting here feeling like I'm missing out on something. Not sad that I'm not marching in the parade though. Have fun Cap City! Knock their socks off!

Tis the Season

I haven't written much about dance yet in this blog. So I'll give you the low down. I'm a Scottish Highland Dance teacher. It's the one job of my three that I love. I'm not as confident in it as I should be, but the comes with putting myself out there and getting the experience that I need. I teach one night a week for three hours. Currently, I have three students but it seems to fluctuate a lot. In the last few years I have gone from 5 to 3 to 4 and now back to 3. I would eventually like to make this my main source of income and be able to stay at home with my future babies.

Anyhow, this is a picture of my most advanced student and myself. We do a few shows a year around town and my younger student is just starting her third year of competition. This weekend is a workshop for dancers and teachers. I usually like to have at least 2 dance classes prior to these workshops and competitions devoted to prepping my younger students. I don't like them going into a workshop without us having talked about and reviewed each dance in the past two weeks. Alas, class had to be cancelled last night, due to weather. :( No second day of review for my little one attending the workshop with me this weekend. This is what February and March bring on Tuesdays though. Cancelled dance class. Why is it that the weather always seems to come on Tuesdays?

Thankful Thursdays!

• Beth Moore - She is so funny and as you read your homework you can just hear her through it.
• Lots of lunch options - Wendy's got old a looooonnnnngggg time ago.
• New cell phone - I love getting the new ringers.
• Dance class - it calms me, gets rid of headaches more often then causes them and fulfills something in me. It's just so much fun.
• Dad's and husbands - they carry heavy things, kill bugs, reach high spots, open tight things and many many other things. What would life be like without them? Don't answer that question.
• Music!!!!! Life would be expressed so much differently without music. I think we would lose so much passion.
  

Ligonier, PA

This weekend we had a (dance) competition in Ligonier. This is one that my sister and I have competed at many times. My dad said he would be happy to go with me so I didn't have to make the drive alone. I'm not good at staying awake on long trips. Anyhow, we left after work on Friday and drove our 3.5 hours. We got checked in and after about an hour of listening to the guy in the next hotel room over snore, got some sleep. Saturday morning never comes quickly enough for me when it's competition day.

This is the hotel we stayed in. It was cute and small and had a historic feel to it.

Saturday was cool and sunny. It was actually perfect weather for dancing. I met my dancer at the site and her mom already had her registered and mostly dressed. Dance mom's are truly a blessing! So I got her shoes on and warmed up. We got a decent amount of time on the stage beforehand. First dance, Lilt, was a bit shaky. Eyes darting, possible crashing, to many little steps, but overall not bad. Second dance, Fling, got her feet back under her. This one is by far her best dance. We got those eyes looking where they are supposed to and brain focused again. Third dance, Sword, didn't touch the sword and no major flubs. Couldn't ask for a whole lot more. OK I could, but I didn't. :) Last dance, Seann Tribuhas, needs work but she didn't fall off the stage, which I was worried about in that second step. She smiled nicely and was one of the only ones that clapped.

After she dances her last dance she is then allowed to watch the other dancers. As we waited for the awards to be calculated I got a chance to chat with the mothers of one of my fellow dancers from years ago. It was fun to find out that he was working in NYC as a haute couture fashion designer and was part of a show this Monday at Fashion Week.



Anyhow, back to competition, She did well. Bre placed in all 4 of her dances. 3rd in Lilt, Sword and ST. 2nd in Fling. This was the first competition that she placed in the Sword and the first that she'd placed in 3 or more dances. So this was all very exciting. After awards we got her changed and packed up and were starting to gather things together. I had this feeling that I should be paying attention to the announcer and so I stopped what I was doing and moved closer to hear. They were announcing the winner of Most Promising Dancer. This is an award that is not given at every competition and the dancer can be from any group in the morning session. Lo and Behold.... they call ... #112. Bre was #112 and no longer was kilted. I grabbed her and ushered her to the front where they laughingly told her "we told you not to change" and my little dancer took her very astonished bow.

So proud... she didn't know what it meant and I had to explain that both judges have to agree on a dancer that they feel shows the most potential. It's very exciting that they both felt it was her.


Overall it was a great day. We were finished with competition at 10:55 am, I don't really now what happens before noon at a highland games, and I got to enjoy the rest of the afternoon with my dad. The ride home wasn't bad either. Thanks for driving Dad! My nap was great.

Blogger Awards

So because Erin over at Wedding Planning Memior tagged me in Honest Scrap I'll oblige cause she's so freaking awesome... and my sister and all.



1. I married my best friend from 5th through 8th grades older brother. never saw that coming back then.

2. I can't imagine living far from my family. Brad is pretty good at it. I think I would be devestated.

3. Brad and I have two cats. Neala (lovingly known as Meowla) and Mr. Giaus. He was just Gaius but over time the Mr. was added and now he's only plain Gaius when he's in trouble.

4. I have been married for 423 days.

5. My hair has become a bit of an obsession for me. Although I'm getting less obsessed I think. Erin thinks it's weird. But then she doesn't have curls.

6. I have a tattoo... Just 1 for now. My sister has one that matches... kinda. We got them 2 years apart and mine is on my left foot... Hers is on her right. So we make a pair. It's of the trinity knot or dancers knot. I love it.

7. I love pasta. Pasta and alfredo sauce.

8. I'm excited that Brad is going to Law School. I'm excited for him, but I'm excited for me too. I get to really have time to read again.

9. Every time I think I want to retire from actually dancing to just teaching, I have another show to dance at. I love it. After 18 years it's still one of my favortie things to do.

10. I need to keep a planner. I am the master at double booking myself. Ask any of my close friends.

So there you go... 10 random facts about me.