According to me, I am the Meanest Person Ever!

(Most of my former students would agree).

I got a Facebook invite for a fundraiser. It's a cause I wholeheartedly support. But I deleted the invite. I also deleted every invite I've gotten to various "come buy my stuff" parties too.

This said fundraiser said you could donate money or donate miles run. The details were exceedingly sketchy. Actually, the whole thing confused me. But needles to say, I am unable to participate.

Why?

1.) I. don't. run. I will run if I'm late. I will run if I'm chased (by a bear, or a scary person with a weapon). But running and fun are never part of the same sentence in my vocabulary. It hurts my ankles. It hurts my knees. I stop breathing. And do I have to mention cheap sports bras and a D cup?

2.) Donating money. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not against charitable giving. Far from it! If I had the money, I would. But that's just it. We're finally at the place where just about everything gets paid off every month. In a year, we might even be able to buy groceries with some consistency. In two years (less if the state will start giving raises again) I might be able to put some money in a savings account. But for right now we're making due with what we can. (And the next time my College calls asking for money, I'll tell them exactly where my degree got me, and how I want my student loan money back).

I wish this person luck in her fundraiser. I wish her success. But honestly, the only way I will run, is if she gets a bear to chase me.

And just you watch... she'll show up at my door with a bear!

Follow up: The dreaded day...

Ok, I overreacted. I lost a pound, which is my weekly goal.

I had a frozen dinner after the meeting, but I accompanied it with a piece of ciabatta bread (you know, to soak up the sauce). It was glorious! Seriously, good Italian bread (or garlic bread) and tomato sauce is a favorite of mine.

This weekend I need to clean, make sure I exercise, and more sure not to give into the chocolate craving.

The chocolate craving the professors around here aren't helping. They are bringing me chocolate!

So You Think You Can Dance!

I ADORE this show. My ex never let me watch it live. Now the Spousal Equivalent and I watch it together.

I've been surfing the blog-o-sphere, and have run into people that say that SYTYCD has a pro-contemporary bias. Why? Because most of the other styles have to go to Choreography first before they go to Vegas.

Well... yes! Many styles (hip hop, break dancing, krump, some ballroom) don't use choreography the same way that the choreographers on the show do. They may be an excellent b-boy, but can't dance with a partner.

Don't worry, Vegas week is good for tossing out the Contemporary one trick ponies!

Now I have 2 hopes for the season: 1.) that the Irish Dancer makes the top 20. and 2.) that we get another ballerina!!

Today is the dreaded day!!

It's Weight Watchers Day!!!

I'm not excited about it.

See, I gained half a pound last week. They always give you that look when you gained. Like they caught you eating a donut. I had 2 small cookies yesterday..... so now I'm paranoid that I gained more weight! I've actually been pretty good this week, except for the small cookies.....

*flails*

But in my defense, I actually got off my butt and exercised this week! Not only did I hike some trails (and Misty has to scars to prove it, poor puppy), but I've been using my Wii.

Now a question. Wii exercise games. Recommendations?

Need to get my Rear in Gear

Why, might you ask? My mother is coming to visit!

This is not a crisis situation... or more truthfully it doesn't have to be. If I clean my apartment, there will be no crisis!

I have 18 days to get it clean! Wish me luck!

I am a Band Geek...

"And this one time... at Band Camp...."

Well, my stories weren't ever like the movies. Band Camp for me was a week of 6 hour rehearsals. I think he most exciting thing that ever happens to me at band camp was when I was pulled off the field because they were afraid I was going to pass out.

This weekend, the price of gas and finances in general caused me to miss my High School Marching Band's Alumni Weekend. I was SERIOUSLY bummed that I couldn't be there.

People asked me why I was so upset. It was just Marching Band. It wasn't ever just band. These kids were my friends, some were my family. We saw each other more than we saw our parents at times. We practiced more than most sports teams (3 hour practices 3 days a week, and all day on Saturday). Our season went longer than most sports teams (July 4th to Halloween). Practice started at 6. If you arrived at 6, you were late. At 6 (weekends it was noon), you were lined up in formation, and silently marching off with your section to start warm up. We took extreme pride in what we did, and it showed.

I went to school before the times that you bubble wrapped your children. We worked hard, and our instructors were more drill instructors than marching instructors. You've all seen them in the movies, the drill instructor that yells in your face after you mess up, and you stand at attention and take it. We had that. But we didn't have one. We had 6. I dropped my equipment and did push ups, not because I was told to, but because I was expected to.

Why this level of perfection? Because we were good. During my three years in band we lost maybe 3 competitions. Total. That pride and excellence stays with a person. That's why 400 aging Bandies showed up to march this past weekend.

I saw film footage of the current band. I actually through they were the Middle School band. Sloppy marching, out of step, bad posture. If that was my day we would have been torn a new one.

But not these days. They won't let the instructors be drill instructors. They have to be nice. You can't hurt anyone's feelings. These kids won't know the feeling of hearing their name being shouted through a blowhorn, followed by explicative and questions about your state of attention. (Yeah... last run through of my last practice... ever... Whole band was stopped because I blew the latter half of opener. Thanks Dan... my mom heard that from the parking lot!)

And as I saw, you don't get the same results when you wrap the kids in bubble wrap.

My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding

We tuned into this show last night. It was such a culture of contradictions! A culture where men work, women clean and keep house. Where there is NO pre-marital sex (I think kissing and hand holding or even talking to a boy alone is a no-no). The girls dress like prostitutes and are married at 16 or 17. It's also a culture is is on the brink of being destroyed.

The traveling community no longer travels in the UK. All they want is to live communally in trailer parks (also, since they like to have the restroom be in an out-building, it's easier in a trailer). The British government is evicting the travelers off of land ( they might even own the land, but don't have permits to build, that was unclear).

I hate seeing such a misogynistic society (domestic abuse is rampant). But I hate seeing a culture destroyed.

I need to watch more... And research.