2009 in Review

This is my third time doing this whole year in review thing. Check out 2007 and 2008.

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What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Acquired a job with a salary. What up, late bloomers!

Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Apparently my only real resolution for this year was to get a job. Look who's batting a thousand.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
Sam's sister. And though the babe is in MA, I get the privilege of seeing some very cute baby shots on a regular basis.

Did anyone close to you die?
Just all the celebrities of the world. And I feel worst for Farrah. MJ totally stole her death thunder.

What countries did you visit?
Australia to see the sister.

What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Giant admissions from exes that keep me in counseling. Whoa, who let the TMI fairy in with her pesky dust?

What date(s) from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
May 16- grad school graduation, five years to THE DAY of my undergrad graduation. Spooky. October 19- first official day on the *new* job.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Entertaining the thought of a buying a place of my own in the near future. And yes, even thinking that thought counts as an achievement. The obvious one is my Master's but that's been the product of several years. Regaining some of my confrontational personality after being a doormat for awhile.

What was your biggest failure?

Trying to figure out the damn html for this question. I know it is easy, but I'm lazy. F it.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing more than you typical colds. Oh, that's a lie. I found out I have the cholesterol of a dead person.

What was the best thing you bought?
Most recent haircut because I was way overdue for a change. Luck ring. Money spent towards mending clothes instead of buying new things.

Whose behavior merited celebration?
All my friends for putting up with my CRAZY. (same from last year. And from what I can see, every year going forward).

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Republican teabaggers. Seriously, you crazy.

Where did most of your money go?
Grad school (same for the past three years. Getting smart costs mad money, yo.), food stuffs, impulse purchases (hello, PedEgg)

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Being done with school. Pig Pickin'. Moving to DC proper.

What songs will always remind you of 2008?
MILEY CYRUS- PARTY IN THE USA. AND YES THIS TOTALLY DESERVES ALL CAPS. All of Lady Gaga, the Fame Monster, but specifically Bad Romance. Darude- Sandstorm. Shakira- She Wolf. Good King Wenceslas.

Compared to this time last year, are you...
I. Happier or sadder? This exact time? Probably happier because I'm not putting any pressure on myself for NYE. Not that I'm not excited about my plans, I'm just not hanging all my happiness in the new decade on how tomorrow night goes.
II. Thinner or fatter? eh, lord knows. I back up at my heaviest weight (seriously, that TMI fairy is getting WAY too liberal with her dust) but the weight has arranged itself better this time.
III. Richer or poorer? Richer, but I'm no one's sugar mama.

What do you wish you'd done more of?
Trusted my gut instincts. Cooked at home more.

What do you wish you'd done less of?
Spent time obsessing about the past. Eating full fat cheese.

How will you be spending Christmas?
Christmas Eve was at cousin's house in south central PA, Christmas Day- Chinese food and "It's Complicated"

What was your favorite TV program?
Of the year? Glee. That's obvious.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Hate is pretty strong. I don't think there is anyone I hate, that I know personally.

What was the best book you read?
The second book in the Wideacre trilogy. Seriously, maybe one of 5 books I read this year that WASN'T a romance novel. And there's still a healthy dose of sex (be it incestuous) in it. I need real book recommendations and how. The whole in grad school so I only have the brain power for romance novels doesn't cut it anymore.

What was your greatest musical discovery?
Miley Cyrus. Shut your face. Party in the USA makes me happy.

What did you want and get?
To move into DC proper.

What did you want and not get?
A museum job.

What was your favorite film of this year?

Oh lord. Well, I love most films, so really, pretty much anything I saw, I liked. Away We Go was cute. I loved the music in Pirate Radio and couldn't stop myself staring at the glasses. Star Trek was FANTAB. I feel like I answered the question a few weeks ago and was more erudite but it just isn't coming to me right now.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old?
The big old 26. Had many celebrations, including drag bingo and some good old fashioned bar time.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Getting my license- on my way with the permit! ---> always getting my license. Still holding fast with the permit.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
"You look Amish, but in a good way." direct quotation from coworker from this summer.

What kept you sane?
Professional help. Friends. -----> some things never change

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Lee Pace. Ah, lovely pie maker. Also, I just finished Wonderfalls and the man is too cute for words, unless the words are TOO CUTE.

What political issue stirred you the most?
The fact that people don't want universal health care. I don't know much more about the debate but I just want to slap people who don't believe in health care for all. Because they've never been uninsured and boy howdy, does it suck.

Who did you miss?
My ladies out west. My ladies in Baltimore.

Was 2009 a good year for you?
I truly think that each year since high school graduation has gotten better and better (for the most part). Which makes me really excited to get old.

What was your favorite moment of the year?
Graduating is pretty up there. Any and all champagne Mondays (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, etc.)

Where were you when 2009 began?
Logan Circle, one of a few peeps dressed up at a dinner party.

Who were you with?
Folks from Haverford and the lovely folks I know through them.

Where will you be when 2009 ends?
Birthday/NYE party in Adams Morgan.

Who will you be with when 2009 ends?
A bestie from work, Monica, and greader friends. What up, Google Reader!

What was your favorite month of 2009?
March had me in Australia but also learning that I didn't get a dream job. May had me graduating but also moving. October had me starting a new job AND dressed up as Maleficent, so that's pretty awesome

How many different states did you travel to in 2008?
MD, VA, DC, FL, PA, NC.

How many concerts did you see in 2009?
Um, just one, I think. But it was awesome. Guster. Hello, college.

Did you have a favorite concert in 2009?
See above.

Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
Shame is heavy. I pretty much am embarrassed by most things I do but they make me, me, so shame doesn't enter the picture.

What was the worst lie someone told you in 2009?
"Yeah, a second date would be fun."

Did you treat somebody badly in 2009?
Certainly brusque or brash at times, but always out of love.

Did somebody treat you badly in 2009?
Nothing out of the ordinary.

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2009 and change something, what would it be?
Say yes to moving into the place I lived over the summer. Oh the headaches.

What are your plans for 2010?
Lower my cholesterol to that of only someone on the brink of death. Save money so that when my lease is up, I can move to my own place or only have one roommate (big girl dreams!). Take stock of my life more often and have my choices reflect my desires. Stop writing sentences like that.

Direction

So, the posting here has been light. And that is in direct proportion to how HEAVY my summer has been in terms of stress. Starting back on 3 April, I've been in Australia for a few weeks, came back just in time for a 4 day conference in Philadelphia, graduate, move, job hunt, have landlord issues, job hunt issues, and will be moving again and probably losing full time employment in the coming month. Not because I'm getting fired but because my work is just kinda piecemeal right now. So, yeah, feeling a bit less pithy that I normally do.

However, for the month of August, I will be doing more content writing for Oceana and I would love it if you checked it out over here. Of course, my last name will now be eternally liked to rizado, but alas, tis my fate. If things calm down, perhaps I'll come back here for more quips, but for the time being, my writing energies are focused where the dollar dollar bills are- work.

i can haz updates!?!11?

So, the end of April through the end of May almost killed me and it just may still. I basically got back from Australia, went to a four day conference in Philly, finished up school, graduated with my master's, found a new place to live, and will be moving on Sunday. So yeah, to say that this time in my life has been a bit busy is an understatement. I've been dying to be able to sit down and pump you all full of the fun thing I've been doing and thinking but when I get home from work/internship/other city, all I want to do is watch so much TV that my butt falls asleep.

But! my trip to Australia provides me with a more than legit reason to post on my work blog, so that will certainly have to happen soon.

Oh and PS, maybe the reason I've been slow to blog? I'm obsessed with Google reader and often comment on the things I share there. Seriously, go get a reader.

Also, my museum blog is back up and running. Because I'm so good at keeping on top of the three blogs I write for now. It is very museum centric, so I'm tempted to say it will be boring to those of you not in the biz, but come on, I'm hilarious and I can make exhibition development exciting to EVERYONE!

Back from Brissy

Just got back from Australia. Whew, long haul flights are exhausting. In a (probably vain) attempt to get over jet lag as soon as possible, I'm trying to stay awake as long as I can today- shooting for 8pm- by visiting my aunt, applying for jobs, and (just maybe) updating this here blog.

If not here, than certainly look for me at my work blog in the next week or two. I've got some great posts floating around my brain right now.

Hello again... and good bye again

Howdy! Whew, it has been way way way too long. But it has been for good reason. Since we've talked last, I've had a second interview for a real job in exhibits, took my comps, was in charge of my office while most people were out of the office, celebrated St. Patrick's Day, and more.

And oh the stress. THE STRESS. I'm waiting to hear back from the job. It is in Baltimore, so if I get it, I will have to move pretty much right after graduation. And even if I don't get it, I'll be moving from my current place anyway. Apartment searches are one of my least favorite things ever so I'm not looking forward to May anyway, but the added stress of the job hunt is getting to be too much. I do know that I passed my comps, so that's one less thing to worry about.

I plan on doing a whole lot of no worrying while I'm in Australia. I leave on Thursday and will be gone until the 19 April, which again means that I won't be writing terribly much for the next month. I may be updating here and there, hopefully with some photos, but I can't promise anything- I will be on the beach afterall.

But stay tuned anyway- hopefully I'll have good news regarding the job/apt front!

Spring is springing and taking me along with it

Yeah, I don't know what that title means exactly. This is my semi yearly post where I write to explain why I'm not writing a lot. If you remember, I said that I was going to Australia in about 3 weeks. Before I go, I have to take my comps this Friday. Comps as in if I don't pass them I don't graduate in May. I'm not too worried- went to a study group last week and we are all pretty set about what we need to know but the prospect of the writing I do in a three hour window determining whether I can walk in May... a bit daunting. And on Friday the 13th. I don't pretend that I'm not only a little superstitious. But I'm trying to not focus on that.

Besides comps, there is a large all staff meeting for most of next week that I won't be attending (pout) but that I have been helping plan. Because of this meeting, I will be in the office 4 days next week, which will help make up for the days that I'm missing while in Australia, but in addition to time abroad and the meeting, I've had to rearrange my schedule to get in enough internship hours so that I can graduate in May (see a theme?). I am creature of habit like WHOA and always hate the first few weeks of the semester when my schedule isn't locked down so this switch up mid Spring is throwing me off. I mean, I'm happy to deal with it because hello, AUSTRALIA, but it doesn't mean that I like sitting down and rearranging both jobs AND the internship. It is a lot to handle.

Also, my coworkers have slowly become my friends, with dinners and random happy hours. This makes me happier than words can say- can you say impromptu dance party after homemade Middle Eastern feast?- but it also means that I get home later and later. And when I do get home, I plop down and watch TV with this ho.

So, that's why the writing has been light. And why it will be light for probably another week or so. Because I know y'all care.

Brisbane, here I come!

It has happened! My mom got my tickets today and I will be heading over to Australia in just under 6 weeks.* AH! I need to start making so many lists. What to bring, how much to save, how to make up extra hours at my internship, and perhaps most importantly, what to do while I'm there.

Now, even though I studied abroad in Australia six years ago, my little sister whom I'm going to visit is studying in a different city. So, thoughts on what to do in Brisbane/Surfer's Paradise? I guess it is a bit more obvious in the second case, but other than a few museums to check out, I don't really know much of what else to do in Brisbane. If you've been or had friends lucky enough to visit, let me know what you think I should do.

I'm sorry this is such a lackluster post on what is supposed to be an exciting topic. How about:

WOOHOO AUSTRALIA! KOALA BEARS! BEACHES! KANGAROO (BURGERS)! FISHES!

There, that's a bit better.

*Thanks, Mom! I don't know when I'll be done thanking her for this great opportunity. And even though I don't think she reads this, it is always good karma to put it out there.

Heading to the other side

So those of you who know me on the 'book or talk to me in real life already know this, but in March/April, I'm heading to AUSTRALIA to visit my little sister!



Isn't she cute? I'm super excited. I haven't been to Australia since I studied abroad there myself six years ago. And I haven't been out of the country since Peru last year.

I guess that can come off sounding a bit like a brat- omg, it has been, like forever, since I've been ANYWHERE?! But I grew up traveling, and living, abroad and I do really think that it is a major part of my life, my connections to other countries. While in Australia, I will be looking for jobs and trying to set up informational interviews, not because I necessarily think that finding a job there will be easier but I certainly won't get one if I don't try.

I also recently applied to a job that is mainly administrative, which I can do and well, but what I'm most excited about is the international aspect of the program I would be supporting. As much as I love DC and the Maryland area (you know I do!), the prospect of getting to do something international is something to keep me going through my last semester.

flutter, flutter

this past weekend, elle and i celebrated our five year anniversary of being friends and meeting in australia with a trip to the national aquarium in baltimore. aquaria are big in our story.

soon after meeting, elle and i flew up from melbourne to sydney for a long weekend. i think the time in my life has passed where i plan out of town trips with people i've just met, but with elle, it worked out beautifully. we had just completed our welcome program, where, to help us get over our jetlag quickly, they had us up to the wee hours of the morning drinking and then breakfast at 8a. really, a rough life.

so, by the time we were going to sydney, i had been on this schedule for a solid 10 days. and the night before flying out at 8a, i was out until 4:30a, came home to pack, and didn't sleep. elle participated in similar shenanigans. in short, we looked AWESOME as we found our hostel in king's cross, the red light district. just awesome.

but we weren't going to waste our time! we were studying abroad! we had to do something all the time! plans, plans, plans! so we dropped off our stuff and headed out to the sydney aquarium. where we promptly found a bench and feel asleep.

for two hours.

and i'm sure we could have slept longer but we were woken up by a very friendly woman who alerted me that someone could have taken my purse. oh, and my mouth was open.

so we rubbed the sleep out of our eyes, stumbled around for a little longer, attempted to will the grate marks off our legs from the bench, eventually gave up and went back to our hostel, where we slept from 5p through to 9a the next morning.

this trip to the aquarium is demonstrably less funny, but it has a much higher cute factor.

and now, as elle demanded yesterday, fluttering seahorses!*




you should all know that posting these is a sign of true love on my part. i have never been a huge fan of the way my recorded voice sounds. in my head, i'm like lindsey lohan, when in reality, i'm much more along the lines of minnie mouse.

*elle, i was in no mood for an involved post yesterday. i wanted to give the seahorses the back story they deserve. now stop complaining!

yes, the writers' strike is over. but something else also happened today.

five years ago today (yesterday? tomorrow? so hard to tell with a 16 hour time difference), i landed in melbourne, australia to study abroad for 6 months. when i talk of my time there, i usually describe crazy nights out with friends, five day weekends, and frequent trips to victoria market.

but i also went to school! shocking, but true. i wanted to stay on track with my anthro degree but also take advantage of being in a foreign country, so each course had a strong australia slant: history of indigenous australia and pacific islanders, australia as an immigrant nation, contemporary aboriginal art, and love, family, and society (the least ozzie of the four, but focused on national concepts of family). and while i wouldn't say that i'm an expert on australian history (see: crazy nights out, five day weekends), i know enough to recognize that this is a huge deal.

unlike other colonized lands, australia's native peoples weren't recognized as people. when the british went down under, their official documents said that it was an empty land- terra nullis- and free for the taking. never mind that thousands of indigenous people had lived there for centuries. they did not count as people. and this was law until 1992. now, i'm not saying i'm all rah rah colonization, but at least in other places, native people were considered to be human. and to exist. rough start for a new country.

another thing i learned while studying abroad is that australia really doesn't like to talk about this. they really really don't. in addition to ignoring the humanity of original inhabitants, the australian government had a fun little time of stealing aborginal children and putting them in schools to assimilate them to general white australian society. not that they would ever be treated like white australians, but still, sounds familiar to a certain part of american history, no? this australian 'stolen generation' is more recent than america's and this adds to a general unease around the topic. i found that australians have a real trouble with any discussion of wrong doing. while race is always a touchy subject- and one can argue that americans don't know enough of our own atrocities committed against our native peoples- the vast majority of australians i met just ignored the issue. not that i'm constantly walking around, ready to throw down about civil rights, but if it comes up in conversation, i'm willing to engage.

this is not to say 'take that, australia! america is so much better about dealing with our attempts at genocide aimed at original inhabitants better than you!' this is all to say that while saying sorry doesn't seem like a huge step, it is.
parliament lawn in canberra.

what's in a name?

you might have noticed that while i sign things tatiana, other nicknames of mine have appeared in guest posts and comments. or maybe you hadn't noticed and now you are like 'what? i thought she only ever went by tatiana? i have no idea what she's talking about. do you, willis?'

'um, what? i'm a tv star, i don't know about any blogger. leave me alone and the name is gary, not willis!'


a rose by any other name would still make me nauseous: my nicknames through time

age born: my mother names me tatiana leigh. she later tells me that when she was growing up, she had a friend named tatiana and she always loved the name and promised herself that she would name her first daughter tatiana. that's me! as for the leigh part, she just liked it but it does fit rather well with my irish lineage.

as an aside, all of my names are nature oriented: tatiana means fairy queen (like titania from a midsummer night's dream, leigh means field and my last name deals with horses.)
me and my entourage.


age a few months: tati/y. tatiana is just too long for most people! besides, everyone in my mom's family goes by nicknames. my tia mona is actually christened myriam, my mom, marcela, is either tia machi (just nonsense) or negra (litterally blacky, she's the darkest in her family). so i'm taty. yes, spelled with a y even though my name is spelled with an i. i brought this up at christmas this year and my aunt and cousin apologized for misspelling it all these years! eak, oh well.
the first image that appears when you google tati. also fun because i studied flamenco.


age 6: as every child with an unusual name, i fantasized about having a 'normal' name. and because i was an unusual child, i wrote these fantasies down in the form of what my diaries would be like if i was 16. my name was charlotte rose and i could drive and i had the best boyfriend in the world. ironic how at 24, none of these things are true. also funny that the smell of roses makes me nauseous and this:

You Are Most Like Charlotte!

You are the ultimate romantic idealist You've been hurt before, but that hasn't caused you to give up on love. If anything, your resolve to fall in love is stronger than ever. And it's this feminine optimism that men find most appealing about you. Romantic prediction: That guy you are seeing (or crushing on)? Could be very serious - if you play your cards right!

Which Sex and the City Vixen Are You?

age elementary and middle school: my bus driver calls me tidy. for years. i guess i was a really neat kid.

not nearly as embarrassing as the librarian calling me titiana.

this is little miss tidy. as you can tell from my neat pig tails, clean shoes, and impeccably even yellow skin tone.


age 11: while in england, i experienced a new kind of put down based on my name- previously, all insults had to do with my nerdiness- brain, walking encylopedia, etc. my new male classmates call me tart, which i didn't get at all, until one of my teachers over hears them and they get in huge trouble for insinuating that i'm a whore. they should know that americans don't put out until they study abroad in college, not in 7th grade.

this is not a self portrait, you cockney bastards!


age 12: apparently, my tormentors back in the states can tell that my name is now fair game and i gain the nickname tardy, short for retarded, not because i'm late because i'm super timely. but something strange happened in england. while i was able to take crap for being smart, i saw no reason to make fun of my name or the fact that i was american, so once i came back for 8th grade and people started to bother me, i flipped a desk, talked back in class, and threw rocks at cars. basically, i was a cool kid for like a second. so tardy was more of an endearing nickname than a taunt.

i am tatiana, the anti-tardy tiger and i will rip your face off.


age 13-16: ah high school. so witty! my life was split between my all girls school, where i was the basic tati, and coed catholic youth group, where sexually repressed boys liked to call me titiana, titi, and the most basic of them all, tits. yeah, good times, good times.

(i am not even going to attempt to google image titiana, titi, or tits. i may not necessarily be family friendly but i don't need to revel in it.)


age 17: i feel like tati makes me sound like a 3 year old, so i decide to introduce myself as leigh when i get to college. yeah, that never worked out. but i did always introduce myself as tatiana. of course, four syllables is too much for most people, so it quickly got shortened again to tati, t money, t bone (never really in seriousness) and sometimes just t. ah well, i tried.

i prefer filets myself, so you are welcome to the right handed side of the steak.


age 19: i study abroad in australia, the land of nicknames and shortening of everything. if americans couldn't deal with tatiana, aussies' heads would explode for all the enunciating. i was briefly deemed fisty being able to stick my entire fist in my mouth but that really isn't something you want to shout across the quad on a crowded spring day. so, i was christened tats.

i have to say, i think this may be my favorite nickname. it just seems so spunky and fun. you wouldn't really hear 'oh tats can't come out because she is such a loser and has to cat sit all night long'. instead tats is the kind of girl who tells crazy stories at brunch before going shopping. she's the lady who gets second degree sunburns in sydney. she sleeps on dunes with kangaroos! she wins catchphrase all the time! tats is a mascot of fun! woohoo go tats!
tat this! for that to be at all funny, you will need to know that tatting is one way to make lace. see, i make you laugh AND you get to learn something.

age 20-present: apparently, adults can handle the full name, so now i get tatiana in addition to friends who still call me tati, tats, and t. because of all these names, i will often respond to most names that begin with t, causing me to raise my head often and look around like a fool. there are a lot of names that begin with t. at this point, i do really like my name and i think it suits me. i no longer cringe when people tell me that they love my name- instead i respond 'well thanks, i didn't have much to do with it but i'll pass along your thoughts to my mother.'

i no longer dream up diary entries of myself with different names.



i just daydream about having a real salaried job. one day, i'll need that lanyard for some sort of work affiliated id.

i can do it!

nyc transit has always scared me. numbers AND letters! you've got to be kidding me! seriously, i'm terrified of getting lost on just about any public transportation, at least in the united states.


when i was staying with juliet at boston college for a week during my senior year, i was so paralyzed by fear that i refused- REFUSED- to go anywhere without her. to be fair, i didn't have a cell phone at the time. since she was still in class, this meant that i had a lot of time on my hands. so i watched every single episode of sex and the city. IN ORDER. because if i'm crazy enough to refuse to go anywhere, i'm obviously crazy enough to be orderly in my laze.


the odd thing is (yeah, the ONLY odd thing) when i was in melbourne, australia, i was all about getting around on trams and taxis. booking flights for the next day. renting cars with people i had just met. to drive along a road on the edge of an ocean. my first day of australia, i jumped onto the tram, despite having no idea what my stop looked like or how to get back. maybe it was the 16 hour time difference or the fact that i was in a foreign country, but i was completely comfortable just winging it. oh and i went to boston AFTER australia. so it obviously didn't stick.


i eventually warmed up to boston public transportation during the three years i lived there. but, new york remains a daunting task. i get really really uneasy at the prospect of not knowing where i'm going. so today was a test for me.


i'm visiting karel but she has to work all day today, so i decided to arrange a meeting with a friend from high school i haven't seen since graduation. SO I HAD TO TAKE A TRAIN BY MYSELF. TO THE FIRST LUNCH. THEN TO LUNCH WITH KAREL. THEN BACK.


and i did it! i know, most people probably wouldn't be as excited as i am, but honestly, the fact that i was able to transfer trains, use the right exits, and navigate different areas of new york is a huge deal for me.

so huge that i'm posting about it!

so, in summary.

nyc subway intimidates me. i conquered it today. go me.

another timeline

see this for more background info.

Boogie Through Time: A Dance Timeline

age around 1: after getting baths, i delight in running around with little to no clothes on and dance, dance, dance. my primary move involves both hands and one foot on the floor, with the other leg up in the air. and bouncing. lots of bouncing.

age 5: i start ballet lessons. it largely involves me leaping over turkeys, pumpkins, and other seasonal cutouts on the floor. i think i decided to stick with it because of the outfits and the jumping.

age 7: i try tap and decide that if i can't be as cool as shirley temple, i don't want any part of it.

age 9: i add jazz to my dance repertoire. i have some other dance friends who did this the year before me and are in jazz 2 while i waste away in jazz 1. however, i blow away the dance company with my jazz hands in our dance to speedracer that they promote me to jazz three next year. but for some reason, i don't sign up. i have no idea why, i was super proud. oh wait, i might be a year off and was moving to england.

age 11: in england, ballet was part of the school day. and the boys had to do it too. i thought this was HILARIOUS. obviously, not very enlightened of me.

age all my childhood: i was pretty consistently enrolled in ballet classes from five on, but my favorite dancing activity was choreographing my own dances to contemporary pop hits, like madonna. i really loved to get down with wilson philips and 'hold on.' there was a mirror in my room on the back of my door that had an unfinished edge. one day in middle school, dancing in front of the mirror to see the finer points of my hot moves, i dramatically throw my hands down to my sides and take a chunk out of my wrist. i don't bleed a lot but it is a huge chunk of skin. from then on, i back up from the door. oh also during this time, whenever i'm done with my choirs on saturday, i turn up classical music and dance around the kitchen/living room. sometimes i moved things so i could get in a grand jete.

age 14: i take one more year of ballet in high school before i decide that i don't have time for it. plus, my teacher didn't want me on pointe and i was PISSED. so i decide to do theater at my high school instead.

age 18: i take a jazz class at school in order to fulfill my pe requirement. nothing too exciting.

age almost 19: i take a semester of ballet to fulfill TWO pe requirements. because i'm awesome, i attend all these classes in a black footless unitard.

age 19 1/2: i take a semester of flamenco to fulfill TWO re requirements AND half an academic credit (or 1.5 credit hours if your school rolls that way). this class was amazing. flamenco beats are different from the standard 8 count that i was used to from ballet and jazz and though a little like tap in that you make sounds with your feet, i immediately loved flamenco because you HAD to twirl your skirt. i would practice routines in the bathroom of my dorm until people from other floors would complain because they could hear me through the whole building. they had no culture.

age almost 20: while studying abroad in australia, i don't want to get off the dance train that i'm on. so in addition to going out almost every night, i sign up for a latin dance class. i feel shamed that i'm not the best person in the class (it should be in my blood), but the instructor is such a strong lead that whenever he selects me to dance, i look good. ah i miss that class. except for the sweaty hands.

age 22: whew, that year right around 20 was big! after coming back for my senior year of school (busy) and the year after i graduated (scary), i have time to take another class. i settle on hiphop in boston. the company's name is jamnastics. it is fantastic. i quickly gain a reputation of remembering all the moves from the previous week. i may not be able to execute them the best, but damn, i know it.

age 24: no dance class and little to no going out- not a whole lot of dance right now. but i am taking pilates and i can point my toes like a mofo.

hmm, that was more than 10. sorry, i just have too much dance for one person!

posting every day! and a new feature! what a day!

so i decided to do this whole NaBloPoMo thing where in an effort to get regular posts, i post everyday during the month of november. yikes. i hope that i can keep y'all entertained.

because i don't have enough semi-regular posts, i thought i would start another one! i know that my list of blogs is a tad... excessive? long? daunting? well, in an effort to show people whom i read and why i started in the first place, i'm going to be doing a 'best of (fill in the blank with some witty comment)'.

and because i love her best and she's fist alphabetically, my first entry will be

bellechanson, the best of my friends whom i know in real life but also avidly read online.

belle is manned by karel, one of my bffs from college years. when i had my first blog while studying abroad in australia, she hosted me on her domain, shiverydelight. i thought that she was the bee's knees for having her OWN domain and still being in college! like, what! i was a tad naive about the interweb.

karel studied english and creative writing, meaning that her posts are um, coherent, and uhhhhh, well thought out and put together... oh yeah, and she sometimes writes these amazing posts re: her life in such an artistic way that it makes me go 'whoa, i'm friends with a smart lady!' but because she wants to make me feel better about my lack of coherencey, she also posts about her bangs.

she cut them herself!

she's also mad creative and does web design, greeting cards, paper products, custom-made crafts, and more* through her side project, pink pomelo. it is nice to have her as a friend because she makes pretty things.

*what could the more be? buttons? pancakes? a little jig? you are leaving us hanging, ms. karel!