Christmas survey

So it has been a long time since I last posted. Blah. I've been pretty busy with the dance studio-- the holiday show is next weekend and I have so. much. to. do. Sickening. But anyhow... I thought I would post a little holiday survey listed by my favorite senior dance student, Kelsey on her blog
So here goes:

1) What is your favorite Christmas movie? Like Kelsey, I can't just pick one... I love the Griswalds in "Christmas Vacation", "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby, "Elf", "The Santa Claus", and nearly all the Christmas cartoon specials that are now on DVD/video instead of just television.

2)What is your favorite Christmas-type special TV program/programs? I enjoy the 25 Days of Christmas on ABC family, like Kelsey, also. But I just love to watch all of the old cartoons that are replayed on television each year: Charlie Brown, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, etc.

3) What is your favorite Christmas song/album? I don't know that I have a favorite album. I love several different songs, too-- traditional as well as contemporary/modern.

4) Who do you give presents to? My family, friends, dance helpers, co-workers, and pretty much anyone else I can justify buying a gift for! I love gift giving!

5) What is your favorite tradition? I love decorating the tree and putting up the rest of the decor while listening to Christmas music and watching movies. I LOVE our Christmas eve tradition of getting together with my dad's side of the family. And as much as I grumble about it, I do like Black Friday shopping a little bit :)

6) When do you start decorating? Growing up we always put up all the Christmas decorations the day after Thanksgiving. Now that I'm a married adult with my own house, I like to put them up over Thanksgiving break sometime. I'm working on getting that stuff taken care of this weekend, but it isn't looking good right now :/ Typically it is done the by the weekend after Thanksgiving weekend though.

7) When do you start getting in the Christmas mood? Well, since Christmas decorations are put out right after Halloween now in the stores, that is usually a good springboard for me. But my big excitement arrives after Thanksgiving because as much as I love Christmas, I also love Thanksgiving and don't wish to miss out on that.

8) How do you pass the long weeks before Christmas? I listen to the music a lot (studio, car, home, etc). I bake cookies. I shop. I wrap gifts. I decorate.

9) What is better giving or receiving? I am 100% with Kelsey on this... I love to receive gifts (who doesn't!?!) but seriously the bigger joy is picking out the perfect gifts and watching the happiness and joy on people's faces when they open what I've gotten them. :)

10) What is your favorite element of Christmas? I love the reminder that it is Christ's birthday-- the snow on Christmas morning-- the love that you feel "outloud" this time of year-- people's generosity and giving to those in need--the brother/sisterhood that is felt-- peace

I've been tagged! This is from Kelsey - read her blog http://chapstickcamarasandcrowns.blogspot.com/

This is an iPod/MP3 tag....the rules:Play all your songs on your player and click it to shuffle.Look at the first question, and write down what song is playing at the time.As each song randomnly changes, type it down to the next question and so on.Then, tag as many of your followers that you want and post a comment on their blogs telling them that you tagged them!

1) If someone says "this is ok," you say: Senior Year Spring Musical

2) What would best describe your personality? You Must Love me

3) What do you like in a guy/girl? I Will Love You

4) What's your life's purpose? It'll All Work Out

5) What is your motto? Beat It

6) What do your friends think of you? Angels We have Heard on High

7) What do you think about very often? Bugle Call Rag

8) What is 2 + 2? Best Friends

9) What do you think of your best friend? Mrs.Robinson

10) What do you think of a person you like? Lunatic Fringe

11) What's your life story? You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile (hahaha)

12) What do you want to be when you grow up? Obsession

13) What do you think when you see a person you like? Purple People Eater

14) What do you mom and dad think of you? One Moment in Time (this is just wrong)

15) What will you dance to at your wedding? Redneck (oh, hahaha, good thing I'm already married)

16) What will they play at your funeral? Get Up (isn't that a little ironic!)

17) What is your hobby/interest? Lady Marmalade

18) What is your biggest secret? The Devil Went down to Georgia

19) What do you think of your friends? Just Around the Riverbend

20) What's the worst thing that could happen? Silent Shout (maybe this is a metaphor?)

21) How will you die? Hello,Goodbye

22) What's one thing you regret? Side Two

23) What makes you laugh? Hear Me Now

24) What makes you cry? My Town (hmmm...)

25) Will you ever get married? Crawl

26) What scares you the most? The Holly and the Ivy (oh, that is just funny!)

27) Does anyone like you? Surfn' Bird

28) If you could go back in time, what would you change? Celebrity

29) What hurts right now? Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

30) What do you most often exclaim? Do Your Own Thing

31) Where is paradise? Rock this town

32) What did you first say as a baby? Save the Last Dance for me (hahaha)

33) If you had a pet, what would you name it? Around the World

34) What is your favorite sight to see? Reverance 6/8

35) What makes you gag? No One

36) What are you best at? Special

37) If you wrote a book, what would it be called? Shake Rattle & Roll (this could be a good idea!)

38) What did you last wish for? Welcome Christmas

39) What would your superhero name be? For Dancers Only

40) How soon will this be over? Campus

41) Where are you sitting? The visitors

42) What do you most hate? Mr. Santa

43) What do you most love? City of Angels

44) What is your secret name? Auld Lang Syne

45) What will you post this as? The Unfeeling Kiss

This was... interesting. Some of the answers may be a little prophetic... hahahaha

So You Think You Can Dance

Littlest sister & I went to Toledo to see So You Think You Can Dance Season 5 tour. It was A-MAZE-ING. Definitely worth the price of the tickets! However, the drive left much to be desired. According to Yahoo!maps, it was to take us about 3 hours and 40 minutes from my home. It took us about that to get there and a little more to come back (since we stopped for gas and I drove a little more slowly because it was hella dark). So, we left my house around 2:15pm. The show was at 7:30. Got there with plenty of time. Parked right across the street from the arena. Walked a little through town hoping to find a great foodie place to grab some grub, however, we sadly became aware that there was a homecoming dance at a Toledo h.s. the same night and thusly hoards of fancily dressed high schoolers were swarming the local establishments, leaving us foodless. That turned out to be okay as neither of us were extraordinarly hungry.

Pre-show we did a little shopping for some fun SYTYCD tour merchandise. I got the standard tour shirt and a great pair of legwarmers (which I wore tonight for class). Love them both.

The show was amazing. LOVED it. Will post some awesome pics I was able to snag during the performance. We had near perfect seats in the center of the arena with just enough slope so we could see the entire stage.

The show ended and we were on the road to home around 10:15. After a minor detour (thanks to a wonderful bridge being out) and driving through a semi-scuzzy part of town (saw a guy we think either just stole stuff or mugged someone, but no prostitutes) we headed home and bid a fond farewell to Toledo, the city we had only spent about 4 hours in.

Upon our eventual arrival in Meadville (around 2:30am), after a long drive with much singing, laughing and other silly behavior, we decided we definitely needed some grub and stopped at McDonalds. We got ourselves some chicken nuggets and french fries, shared them with Daisy and Rocki and collapsed into our respective beds.

It was a great night-- though I don't think I ever want to drive to Toledo and back in the same day again.

So much to do, so little time

J asked the other day what I would like for Christmas this year. My response was something like, "Another hour or two a day..."

September has felt like May this year. I'm not kidding-- I've been running non-stop during the week, which I expect, but I've been booked solid every weekend. And as much as I love the month of May... I. HATE. IT. The busy-ness is too much. On top of the endless running, I got sick and was out of it for nearly 2 1/2 weeks. ICK. But I pushed through, like the trooper I am, and this weekend was almost boring we had so little to do :) Next weekend- not so much... J's going to be gone to NC with Scott for a Wake Forest football game and some NC fall golfing while I stay home and go to a dance show in Toledo with Samantha. Sunday will be our nephew's last Little Gridders football game of this year, so I'll be at that too. It will be busy, but not nearly as busy as the last few weeks.

On a downside, our neighbors got a new dog, I think (or it's been visiting for a few days) and it is tied outside right now. When they tie it out, it whimpers and barks nearly non-stop. It is irrrrrrratating. Something needs to be done about that before I throw open my back door and start screaming. Stuff like that gets on my nerves. UGH.

My Night Off

My Night Off
By: Heather Onderko

Tonight I had a night off from the dance studio. This isn't a really celebratory occasion because it is only the 2nd week of dance classes and I love to teach dance class-- it is a positive release for me and my pent up, sometimes negative energies left-over from the school day. The original plan and reasoning for not holding dance class tonight is because A Taste of Meadville is being held at the Market House. This event is divine. It brings in some of the very best restaurants and food vendors throughout the Meadville area with some of their very best appetizers, main dishes, desserts and drinks to sample. So, the every day Joe/Josephine can just purchase a ticket and eat until his (or her) belly is beyond contentedly full. And since the event goes on for something like 2 hours, you can load up, rest and digest, load up some more, rest and digest and continually repeat until you've taken in so many calories that you really probably should not eat for the next week, or maybe month. Needless to say, the Market House area is swarmed for this event, parking is cut off in the area, and getting to dance class is nearly (if not completely) impossible and kids are coming into 1/2 hour classes for the last 15 minutes by the time they arrive. Not. So. Cool. So I do the dutiful thing that all good dance instructors should do and build it into the schedule that there is no class on the night of A Taste of Meadville. Normally J & I get tickets and attend this festive occasion ourselves. However this year we have our fall BBQ this coming weekend so there is much to do. Jason is holding fall baseball open gym and also is helping to run an intermural volleyball program at the elementary school. So we decided to scrap our plans to attend and take this year off...Never fear, I plan to be back next year!!!

So here is what I did on my night off....
1. Stayed for an entire English Department meeting at the middle school (ended around 4:30)
2. Went grocery shopping at Aldi's and Wal-Mart in the middle of the week before 9pm
3. Cleaned out the refrigerator (it really needed it)
4. Made dinner in the middle of the week, before 9pm (and I really cooked! not some freezer meal)
5. Cleaned up after dinner (emptied and reloaded the dish washer, packed lunches for tomorrow, emptied the kitchen garbage, did laundry)
6. Tried to call back two people who called regarding dance classes-- didn't reach them so I prepped info to send them in the mail.
7. Successfully blogged for the 2nd day in a row (in a really long entry, nonetheless)

And what will I do with the rest of my night off? Grade essays, finish picking up my office a little bit more so it is ready for the weekend, give my still-sick husband a kiss good night (on the forehead-- avoiding germs, please!), go to bed with my puppies (because still-sick hubby is sleeping on the couch), and maybe read a little bit the book I'm working on lately.

Full Night. Got lots done. Feelin good. Mission Accomplished. :)

Bad Blogger, Bad!

I have a bad feeling I'm going to become a very bad blogger. I'm sorry. I really am. I have every intention of writing some glamorously, entertaining blogs most nights. And then I don't. I'm just too tired. Or too busy. Or whatever. Too much of a procrastinator? Yea, that could be it, too.

So anyhow, first week of dance went well. Yay! Loving my classes.

First two weeks of school went well. Yay! Mostly liking my classes.

Our picnic is this weekend. Haven't heard from a lot of people. Boo. Not thrilled about that. I hope we have nice weather and people actually come. I don't know.

A few other random thoughts:
We are going to a wedding in Rochester next weekend (as in the 26th) and I have a princess birthday party at the studio that I'm hosting on the 27th. I hope it all goes well. Keep your fingers crossed. On October 10, while my husband is in NC going to a Wake Forest football game with Scott (that I was not invited to attend :( ) I will most likely be going to So You Think You Can Dance tour in Toledo, OH. Excited to see the show. Not excited to drive there myself without our GPS unit (Jason will be taking it to NC). Eh, it'll be fine though. And finally, Patrick Swayze died today. That is sad. He was such a phenomonal dancer/actor. I enjoyed him. Rest in Peace PS.

Things I'm just not good at...

Although I have decided to be a bit more positive with the upcoming school year(notice I did not use the word 'impending' as it has a truly negative connotation), I think it is time to embrace my faults and inabilities. And I'm going to do it here.

1. Although I teach English, I admit that I am just not very good at avoiding those hanging prepositions (note my blog title today). It just does not feel right to say, "Things at which I am not good..." or whatever.

2. I am also not a very good speller. I utilize spell check anytime it's available. I still reference dictionaries as necessary. And I'm okay with this, but everyone thinks I should be an all-star speller because I teach English.

3. I am not good at golf. Jason insists that it is because I never gave it enough of a chance. I don't really think that is it. I tried it, but I never saw much improvement, so with as busy as I am, I stopped. Who has time to pursue a hobby they don't really enjoy, aren't very good at, and walk away from feeling terribly frustrated?

4. I am not a Susie Homemaker. I hate the drudgery of household chores-- dusting, laundry, dishes, vaccuming, sweeping, mopping, washing windows, etc. I take no true pleasure in those tasks.

5. I am not really very good at time managment. I tend to push things off to the last minute (procrastination at its finest) and then franticly scramble to get things done.

6. I am not very patient. At least I don't think I am, though others insist my patience is off the rocker.

7. I am not a good decision maker. I over analyze things to the -nth degree and go back and forth ten-thousand times before I will finally settle.

8. I do not hide my emotions well. If I feel really strongly about something you *will* see it on my face, whether I want you to or not.

9. I am not good at saying, "No." If someone asks me to do something, I generally will do it unless it is an impossible task, and sometimes the seeming impossibility of a task will draw me into it even more.

10. I take things personally all the time. If a friend of mine says she'll call on Tuesday evening and doesn't, I get upset and worried that she is mad at me over something and then I'll over-analyze what I might have done, etc, to try to figure it out.

11. I am not good at expressing my emotions. Although I don't hide them well, I don't let them out well either. It is hard for me to really talk about how I feel sometimes.

These are not all the things that I'm not good at, but it covers plenty of them for now. If I kept going, I might begin to dislike myself and that is NOT the purpose of this post. :)

Long time, no post :(

So, it has been a little bit since I last posted... well other than the list I put up from Kelsey's tag a few minutes ago.

After I finished up my last two nights of summer classes, I spent a few days scrambling around working on things for school and the dance studio and then Jason and I packed up our vehicle and headed on down for a few days of fun & sun in Virginia Beach. Our good friends rented a house for the week and invited friends & family to come stay, so not able to resist a trip to the beach that would include lots of rest, relaxation and sunbathing, we jumped. I have lots of fun pictures from that week, so I'll be sure to put up a few in the next day or so.

Upon returning we spent time "recovering" and working in our classrooms. We also went to the Crawford County Fair a few evenings-- one of our end of summer traditions.

Yesterday, we had our neice & nephew for the day. We took a trip up to Panama Rocks in New York for some fun hiking and climbing. Then came back and took them to the fair for the demolition derby and fireworks. It was a great day and ended with a great night.

Today we took the kids up to Ky's football game. It was a dreary, rainy mess of day, but I suppose it should help to make it easier to head back to school tomorrow.

Monday and Tuesday this week are teacher in-service/work days and Wednesday we welcome back the students. Yikes.... summer is over!

I've been tagged!

I'm supposed to create a list of 30 things about me... Kelsey (Chapsticks, Cameras, and Crowns) tagged everyone who likes chocolate and since I belong to Chocolate Addicts Anonymous (or should) I guess I better get started... :)

1. I love plants and flowers but don't know much about caring for them and until recently usually had a hand in their death if in my possession.
2. If I could, I would be a perpetual student. I love learning.
3. I'm a nerd.
4. Tying back to #2, I would love to take 1-2 classes a semester for the rest of my life, but they would have to be classes I wanted to take, not necessarily had to take.
5. I love to nap.
6. I am a ridiculous night owl-- I do my best work in the evening and into the night time.
7. I am not a morning person. I am generally grumpy for a bit in the morning (though I am a million times better than I used to be!)
8. I collect stuffed animal monkeys. I have since I was little. My first stuffed animal was 'favorite monkey' which I lost on a shopping excursion sometime in my toddler days.
9. I love to shop. I like shopping for clothing, office supplies, shoes, paint, etc. The only thing I get bored shopping for is flowers/plants (see # 1 as a possible reason why). And the best part is, I even like shopping for other people. It doesn't have to be for me :)
10. If I could change careers every 2-5 years I would. I think this is because I have so many interests that could turn career.
11. I love dancing. I have danced since I was 3 and never want to quit.
12. I turned my passion for dancing into a 'career' by purchasing a dance studio. That was the biggest decision I have made at this point in my life. Getting married was far easier than buying the studio.
13. I love photography. If I didn't own a studio, I would take photography classes and either shoot pics part-time or work for an already established photographer.
14. My dream job would be to make it on Broadway, however, I think I like it better as a dream job than if it would ever have become reality. I have met quite a few kids trying to cut it and it is not. so. glamorous.
15. I have a passion for music. I love discovering new artists and songs, but I also love to return to old favorites. I can remember lyrics to songs that were very popular when I was a child.
16. Since I turned 29, my memory has gone downhill. Oh, sure, I can still remember song lyrics from 20+ years ago but what I ate for breakfast sometimes is mystifying by 10am.
17. I like to write. I don't feel like I have solid ideas.
18. I am a bad decision maker. I worry about what each scenerio might entail depending on outcomes, etc, and consider all options and avenues (no matter how unlikely they might seem) in order to feel like I've made the best choice. Sadly, this applies to nearly all decisions I make, from what to have for dinner to whether or not to purchase a dance studio.
19. I am terribly afraid of bridges over water-- mostly the driving over them part. I have this irrational fear because I worry that the bridge might collapse and my car will fall into the water. I might survive the fall, which is good, but become trapped underwater in the car and slowly suffocate/drown. I know, it's pretty irrational.
20. I also am pretty claustrophobic. I think this also goes along with the fear of suffocation/drowning.
21. I am an extreme over-achiever and have been for as long as I can remember.
22. I am an extreme procrastinator and have been for as long as I can remember... however most procrastinators say waiting until the last minute produces their best work. For me, it is true.
23. I want to learn how to play guitar. I have a guitar. It's been out of its box 2 times since I got it. I still want to learn.
24. Although owning and operating the dance studio is a business, consists of lots of hard work, and usually stresses me out, I love doing it. I love my students. I love teaching them. I love dancing. I love the squeals of delight from the little ones having fun and the exclamations of success from the older ones when things come together for them.
25. I love my doggies and kitty and treat them like human children in some ways. They are definitely spoiled.
26. I love to read. I definitely don't have enough time to read as often as I would like.
27. I love to watch movies. I generally like almost any type, except extreme horror/slasher movies.
28. I think I love to read and watch movies because of the opportunity to exit reality and immerse myself into "someone" else's life/experiences that I will probably never have.
29. I am addicted to facebook. I have a blackberry phone and I check facebook way too often-- though during the school year I do cut back a lot more because I'm much busier.
30. Although I usually try to put up a good front, it is very hard for me to be thick-skinned. I take things personally and often want to cry about stuff. This is not good in my profession. I am also incredibly self-conscious and although I really try to control it, my self-esteem and self-confidence wavers constantly.

Now, there are few people who really read my blog, so I guess I'll tag anyone who happens to read this entry and hasn't already filled this out :)

Dancin', Dancin' Dancin!

Last night I had a plethora of girls show up for my last summer jazz class. It was most of my Advanced Jazz class plus a few others. And it was SO fun! I had forgotten how great it is to have them all together like that. I have really enjoyed the summer classes because it has let me see some kids in different ways than I normally see them and interacting with different people than they are normally with. But last night reminded me of the fun and potential that will be coming up soon when classes do begin. And then, though I only had 4 for hip hop I really got excited because I was telling them about the stuff I learned at the convention and how excited I am to really start applying it to classes this year.

So now I am officially excited for dance this year... not that I wasn't before, but let's be honest, starting the school year and then starting dance back up means that I start working M-Th 7:30am-8:45pm everyday with only small breaks to breathe in between (not to mention Fridays 7:30am-3:30pm) and that, even as much as I love it, is tough on me. But last night was a preview (I hope) and that makes it so much easier!

Germany

Earlier this summer we went to Germany for 15 days with the Meadville German Travel Club. It was an amazing trip, one I hope to do again in about 6 years. We flew out of JFK in NYC and flew into Frankfurt in Germany. From there it was a whirlwind of travel-- we visited Rothenburg, a virtually unchanged medieval town that is still walled in- Neuschwanstein Castle, the inspiration for the Magic Kingdom's castle- Salzburg, Austria (where we saw more sights than I have space/time to mention)- the Kehlsteinhaus (Eagles Nest), Hitler's 50th birthday present set high up in the Alps, the view was amazing- Munich (again more sights than I can mention here)- 3 Youth hostels (Jugendherberge Augustusburg, Lutherstadt Wittenberg, and Wasserburg) that were interesting and different in their own right- Dresden, a city that was about 80% destroyed during WWII and still is not completely rebuilt and recovered- Wittenberg, the location where Martin Luther launched the Reformation and nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the church- Berlin, where we saw so many sights including parts of the wall that remain as well as the world-famous Philharmonic- Buchenwald, one of the many concentration camps that were occupied and run by Nazis in WWII that now sit as a memorial to remind us of those horrific times- Cologne, saw the awesome Gothic Cathedral and a few other random sights- Boppard, a Rheine boat cruise (complete with a glass of Rheine Valley wine!), two more castle visits, a visit to Trier the oldest town in Germany, and a few other fun excursions. The food was phenomonal, the history was interesting and most of the sights were astounding. It was a wonderful trip and I'd recommend it to anyone-- however if you're looking for a vacation, I wouldn't recommend this trip because it is not restful or really relaxing. You may walk a lot (we averaged 10 miles a day) and ride on a tour bus a lot (though the company is fun) and travelling from city to city on a schedule is not extraordinarily restful in itself. That is why we are taking a quick trip to the beach next week--R&R 101.
in front of Neuschwanstein castle the Coloner Dom in the Alps!

They say it's your birthday...

Last weekend was Darling Daisy Duke's birthday (our phenomonal Golden Retriever) and she's now 4 years old. In celebration of her birthday we got the customary piece of cake for her and Roquel J-Rose (Rocki, our phenomonal chihuahua) to share.... So we lit the candle and sang happy birthday to Daisy :) I know, I know, I bet everyone will be glad when we get some human kids!

even Bo got some frosting....


Then on Tuesday of this past week was Jason and my dating anniversary (13 years!). We typically don't really celebrate it anymore. So imagine my surprise upon arriving home to a few pretty roses in a vase on my counter. Yay. :) I love my hubby.

Mortality

As I grow older and further into adulthood, I am amazed at my uncanny ability to "forget" our own mortality until it smacks me in the face. Let me explain... As kids we have the tendancy to think that we are unstoppable and as a result we do stupid things. Then we start to grow up and most people realize, "Hey, I'm not untouchable... maybe I better be careful?!?" and settle down. I'm not saying I'm reckless or that I jump into my days with second thoughts--okay, those of you who know me, better not laugh about that because we all know how indecisive I really am and about how I second, no third, oh wait- make that at least fourth guess everything. EVERYTHING. But sometimes I get going and enjoy life's little ride and forget that there is a time limit, just like the carnival rides.

This week we got some very sad news-- our neighbor, who has had some minor health issues over the past few years, found out that his cancer is back. At first they thought it was in his hip but after some extensive testing, they have found that it has spread up his spine and back. He's an older gentleman, but he is extremely active. He still hunts, fishes, restores furniture, harasses my husband on his lawn care and tinkers around his house. But now he can't do any of that. Any jolting and bumping around with him could break his back and leave him paralyzed or worse. He's going downhill and fast. They are going to try some very aggressive chemo and radiation on him, but we all know how that goes.

I'm so worried about him and his wife (she has MS and has difficulty getting around enough but now has to really care for him). I try to be optimistic about his treatments, etc, but it's hard because we see how it goes everyday. I can't imagine how he must feel (not to mention his wife and family) knowing that time could be severly limited. It reminds me of my own mortality. We never know when our time will come. I am thankful for everyday that I have with my husband and family and friends. I'm thankful for the ability to enjoy my favorite activities, favorite foods, and favorite scenes. I'm thankful for my ability to give and share my talents and ability to receive the love and kindness of others. I only wish I could do more.

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Energy Shots

I am NOT a big energy drink person. I think I may have sipped a few here or there, but never even had a full one on my own. To be honest, they scare me. I worry that I will get hooked on them. Or even worse, that it will cause my heart to race and I will have a heart attack at a young age (even though my heart is strong) and die or because laid up because I tend to have irrational fears like that.

So, anyhow, long story short, my cousin, who notes my busy, hectic lifestyle sent me (as a joke) a tray of energy shots to our family reunion (because he was not able to attend). I hadn't tried them yet, until Friday. I was pretty exhausted after our late night excursion to the Pirates game in Pittsburgh the night before and I had 11 little princesses to attend to at Princess Camp so I thought, "What the heck! I'll try it." And I did.

The taste was pretty awful. I chugged some serious water after drinking it. But you know what... it seemed to work. And I didn't have any nasty side/after effects that sometimes are had after an energy drink. It's sugar free so there is no crash when it wears off. And, as opposed to most energy drinks, this one is very low in calories, so you don't have to waste the energy it is providing by running a marathon to work off the caloric in-take. So let me recommend the 5-hour Energy shot. I can't say I'll be doing these daily or even often, but if I need a quick pick-me-up, I know where to go.

Miss Crawford County

Ten long years ago, at the end of August, I was crowned Miss Crawford County. That was really (or should have been) the culminating point of my pageant "career". I competed in pageants from the time my mom entered me into (and I won) a baby contest when I was around 1-2 years old until I was in my early 20s. I won the hometown pageants over the years and even a few pageants in neighboring communities. I never did the 'Young Miss American Princess of Royalty Photogenic' blah blah blah pageants as some of the girls I knew did. Those required entry fees and my parents didn't have the money to do it-- but I don't think I really ever asked. Most of my dresses were borrowed, bought on a really awesome sale, or bought from a second-hand store. I remember after prom season one time I got a pretty dress for around $10 that would have cost normally well over $100 because it was past the prom season and the dress had a little rip near the bottom of the dress (which we stitched up and you couldn't see unless you examined it very closely).

Being Miss Crawford County was a dream of mine for a very long time. I had gone to the pageant every year since I was about 8. My mom's friend was Miss Crawford County when I was very little and encouraged me to do it when I got old enough. I competed for the title in 1998 and didn't win. Looking back, my talent presentation was juvenile, my gown was ill-suited, my swimsuit was poorly chosen, and the best thing about my interview was probably the suit. After the dismal showing, I realized I was at the 'big game' and needed to step it up, so I traveled a lot that year between 1998-1999 competing in any open local pageant I could get to. I didn't win a single one, but I saw A LOT. I met girls who used laxatives to "clean" their systems the days before competing so they had no tummy bulge. I met girls who were on gummy bear and water diets for a week or two before competing. I met girls who used hemroid cream on their thighs and wrapped it in saran wrap to draw out an extra water weight that might make their legs jiggle in a swimsuit walk. I also met a lot of healthy girls who were very talented and well-spoken who did pageants the right way and I chose to emulate those competitors in my journey. So I worked out. I asked around and got my hair done (the news anchor cut was popular back then in pageants). I went for a make-up consultation. I tapped into a few of my fashion-forward friends for advice on wardrobe (picked a new swimsuit and a new gown, but was advised to keep the interview suit). Read the newspaper, watched the news, kept up on current events as well as entertainment gossip-- and talked to people about those current events to practice for interview. And I did my pageant research and developed a new talent with a new outfit designed by my mom and me. I did my homework and I came to win. And I did in late August of 1999, which was amazing because the slate of girls I was competing against was strong and they also (for the most part) wore their game faces too.

Pageants were a big deal for me. Through school I did them because they were fun-- I love to dress up and look 'pretty'. But I got a lot of flack for that, too. There were a lot of people I went to school with who made fun of me for my participation in pageants and hated me because I must have thought I was so much better than everyone else because I competed in pageants and *gasp* won. As I continued to compete through high school and college, I realized the valuable tools pageants gave me. I had self-confidence and those times when I maybe didn't feel the most confident, I was able to push through and do my best. I had a lot of experience developing my opinions and finding ways to eloquently express them. It was very important to me to stay true to myself in my opinions but I also had to recognize that not everyone would agree with me, so I had to find ways to let people know what I thought without being offensive. I had a lot experience with public speaking and interviewing. This has been probably the most important part for me. I have been complimented on my interview skills so often in job interviews, which has helped me get jobs. Also, public speaking isn't always my favorite thing to do, but I can get up and organize my thoughts and myself and address a group of people without feeling foolish because of my experiences. Winning Miss Crawford County and meeting so many people throughout my reign also made me many connections, which has been helpful in owning my own business. People, ten years later, still recognize me as MCC and will call me out on it.

This year, for the first time in the history of the Miss Crawford County pageant, the pageant will not take place at the Crawford County Fair. After some difficulties between the fair and the pageant boards, they decided to part ways. So tonight, my "ten year anniversary" of Miss Crawford County comes early by about two weeks. But with or without the fair, the pageant will still continue to provide a wonderful opportunity for many young women who compete in it to grow and mature and learn a lot about themselves through the process. And whomever wins the title tonight will have a year's worth of those opportunities to meet people, promote her platform, and represent Crawford County as a spokeswoman all the while growing through this tremendous experience. Good luck to all the girls. May you all gain much.

Princesses & Puppies & Pirates

This week was pretty busy but a lot of fun! Monday-Friday 9am-noon I had Princess Dance Camp at my dance studio. The girls were SO cute and we had so much fun. Dancing, singing, games, crafts and snacks... what could be better?!?

Earlier in the week, Jason and I took Rocki & Daisy to Woodcock for a fieldtrip. They always seem to enjoy the walking and Daisy (the big wimp she is) has taken a new enjoyment to the water in the creek.

Last night we took a trip with some good friends to a Pirates game in Pittsburgh. Of course, those Pirates continue to be heartbreakers... they blew a few leads and even blew the tie that took them to the 12th inning and lost 11-6! UGH. But it didn't stop us from having a great time and the night was gorgeous! :)

Hello. Hi. Hey!

So, I'm giving this blogging thing a try. I don't know how it'll go. I have no expectations for it...which may be the wrong way to go about it. I always tell my students that they should set goals for themselves because that is how things get done. By not setting goals for this, I could be setting myself up for failure, or I could create something fun and meaningful for myself (and others if some sort of random readership is acquired...?). Who knows. I guess we'll have to wait and see.