* double gold in hockey
* 14 gold medals for 2010 Olympic Games
* most gold medals by any country in the history of the winter games
With glowing hearts baby! We are the True North Strong and Free!!!!!!!!
Epilogue aka DONE
15 years ago
Sunday, February 28, 2010
That's How We Roll!
CANADA! CANADA! CANADA!
* double gold in hockey
* 14 gold medals for 2010 Olympic Games
* most gold medals by any country in the history of the winter games
* double gold in hockey
* 14 gold medals for 2010 Olympic Games
* most gold medals by any country in the history of the winter games
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Why Do I Suck?
I had a grand plan of asking Mr. David for his email address tonight, so that I could send him a link to the pictures from the Ball.
I went to class a bit early so I could practice the insane Cha-Cha/Salsa for Showcase class. He was there, of course, as usual, twirling around. (God, doesn't he get bored with the Waltz?)
He came over and said hello and asked me how my day went. I told him it was better than last week because no one was trying to burn down the school. He laughed. I asked him how his day was and he said it was okay.
He commented on the fact that my iPod was bigger than his. I told him I had to have at least one thing that's better than him. He asked me specs about my Pod. Then off he twirled.
I went over to my own corner and for the next 20 minutes, proceeded to look like a complete idiot. The choreography for Showcase is bloody freaking fast. And it's wickedly difficult to do it without a partner. I did a lot of smashing my foot down in frustration.
In between my hissy fits, David came back over to me. He had his iPod out again.
"Did you hex me?"
"What?"
"My iPod won't play anything anymore."
"Yes David, it's totally my fault. I have those magical powers to break iPods."
I spent the next few minutes trying to help him. When he handed me the Pod, our fingers touched and continued to touch as I was fiddling with it and he was trying to show me stuff on it. I declared his Pod officially a brick. He said he'd try to fix it at home. And off he twirled.
I went back to being frustrated with the choreography for Showcase. I gave up about 5 minutes later and sat down.
He noticed and came over. He motioned for me to join him on the dance floor.
"Let's swing."
"Okay."
And into some East Coast Swing we went. Normally I am super excited to swing because I love the dance. But at this point, I was tired and frustrated from that damn Cha-Cha, so my frame was sloppy and I was dragging my feet. And I was backleading, which is a big no-no.
"I'm the one who's leading here."
"I know! I'm sorry. I'm just tired from practicing the choreography for Showcase."
"That's Mark's class right?"
"Yes. It's insanely difficult and even harder to do without a partner."
We did some more swinging and he showed me a few fancier moves. He kinda gave up on me as I was not being a receptive follower.
"Do you Tango?"
"Um, sure. I guess so."
He laughed.
"You know I always answer the same way when you ask me those questions."
We got into dance hold and again, my frame was complete shit. We tangoed a little bit and then all of a sudden, he just left me standing there and made his way across the studio to greet the little old lady who rocks the polyester shirts.
I was kind of stunned he'd just leave me like that. Yes, I know I was cranky and backleading and generally being poopy, but COME ON. I walked over to the water cooler and I kind of glared at him. He muttered something like, "Sorry I was just..." but I stopped paying attention.
When class finally started, I was too defeated to really care. I got to dance with him twice in rotation. Big whoop.
Tonight, I noticed he bears a striking resemblance to my ex-husband. And that freaked me out for the duration of class. Let's compare and contrast shall we? Mr. David is on the left. Asshole ex-husband is on the right.
I went to class a bit early so I could practice the insane Cha-Cha/Salsa for Showcase class. He was there, of course, as usual, twirling around. (God, doesn't he get bored with the Waltz?)
He came over and said hello and asked me how my day went. I told him it was better than last week because no one was trying to burn down the school. He laughed. I asked him how his day was and he said it was okay.
He commented on the fact that my iPod was bigger than his. I told him I had to have at least one thing that's better than him. He asked me specs about my Pod. Then off he twirled.
I went over to my own corner and for the next 20 minutes, proceeded to look like a complete idiot. The choreography for Showcase is bloody freaking fast. And it's wickedly difficult to do it without a partner. I did a lot of smashing my foot down in frustration.
In between my hissy fits, David came back over to me. He had his iPod out again.
"Did you hex me?"
"What?"
"My iPod won't play anything anymore."
"Yes David, it's totally my fault. I have those magical powers to break iPods."
I spent the next few minutes trying to help him. When he handed me the Pod, our fingers touched and continued to touch as I was fiddling with it and he was trying to show me stuff on it. I declared his Pod officially a brick. He said he'd try to fix it at home. And off he twirled.
I went back to being frustrated with the choreography for Showcase. I gave up about 5 minutes later and sat down.
He noticed and came over. He motioned for me to join him on the dance floor.
"Let's swing."
"Okay."
And into some East Coast Swing we went. Normally I am super excited to swing because I love the dance. But at this point, I was tired and frustrated from that damn Cha-Cha, so my frame was sloppy and I was dragging my feet. And I was backleading, which is a big no-no.
"I'm the one who's leading here."
"I know! I'm sorry. I'm just tired from practicing the choreography for Showcase."
"That's Mark's class right?"
"Yes. It's insanely difficult and even harder to do without a partner."
We did some more swinging and he showed me a few fancier moves. He kinda gave up on me as I was not being a receptive follower.
"Do you Tango?"
"Um, sure. I guess so."
He laughed.
"You know I always answer the same way when you ask me those questions."
We got into dance hold and again, my frame was complete shit. We tangoed a little bit and then all of a sudden, he just left me standing there and made his way across the studio to greet the little old lady who rocks the polyester shirts.
I was kind of stunned he'd just leave me like that. Yes, I know I was cranky and backleading and generally being poopy, but COME ON. I walked over to the water cooler and I kind of glared at him. He muttered something like, "Sorry I was just..." but I stopped paying attention.
When class finally started, I was too defeated to really care. I got to dance with him twice in rotation. Big whoop.
Tonight, I noticed he bears a striking resemblance to my ex-husband. And that freaked me out for the duration of class. Let's compare and contrast shall we? Mr. David is on the left. Asshole ex-husband is on the right.
I couldn't shake the feeling that I've been there, done that.
Right at the end of class, I left. I didn't ask him for his email address or even say goodnight. Instead I found E and we went across the street to McDonald's where I scarfed down a cheeseburger to drown my sorrows.
I asked E to email him with my email address so that if he wants, he can email me. We'll see what happens.
All I know is I suck. And I'm really hating that feeling.
Monday, February 22, 2010
A Good Follow
I've been trying to collect my thoughts all day to properly describe last night's Ball. So much was going on that it's been hard to get everything organized in my head enough to be able to write about it.
Be forewarned, this is gonna be a looooooooooong post. So I'd recommend you grab a drink and a snack. I wouldn't want anyone to suffer from dehydration and/or malnourishment while reading through this behemoth post.
I'll start with this - I'm 10000000% (that would be ten million percent) in love with Mr. David. He is absolutely my dream guy. He's smart, funny, genuine, has a great sense of humour and is devastatingly handsome in a tux.
I spent about 2 hours getting ready for the ball. I did my own hair and make up and I think I looked pretty good for someone who can barely identify with her feminine side. I wore a necklace and matching earrings that Jelly gave to me as a belated birthday present. I did not end up wearing the street shoes that I wanted. Somehow, I've managed to lose a pair of 4" red stiletto heels in my tiny apartment. I ended up wearing a pair of cute little black heels that I've worn many times and many places.
Everyone kept looking at me on the streetcar. Probably because I was totally rockin' my tiara! I ended up running into a friend of mine and he said I looked FABULOUS! That gave me a much needed confidence boost.
I got to the King Edward a little before 6pm. My heart started thumping going up the grand staircase to the ballroom. For those of you who don't know, the King Edward is one of the oldest hotels in Toronto. They've stayed true to its original art deco glory. It's glorious and romantic and the perfect place for a Ball.
I managed to get up the stairs without tripping or making a fool of myself. I set my shoulders down and put my head up high and walked around the corner to the check in table.
And, there was no one there.
Holy crap I was early! So much for my grand entrance!
I stood awkwardly at the table for a while before my instructor Nicole came out of the ballroom. We hugged and shrieked at each other's fabulous outfits. She told me to head inside as my Waltz partner was already there doing a run through of our choreography.
I stepped inside and immediately my breath was taken away. The ballroom was GORGEOUS! I felt like I'd stepped inside a fairytale.
My partner greeted me and commented on how nice I looked. I returned the compliment. We moved to the dance floor to start practicing. We did a quick run through and everything seemed a-okay, aside from the ghastly duct tape keeping the dance floor together! My heel got stuck in it once so I made a mental note to step over that portion during our routine.
My friend (and dance school receptionist) E came in and we squealed at how gorgeous we looked in our awesome dresses. :) She took some pictures of myself and my dance partner. While we were doing that, Mr. David began to approach.
Okay, so I really tried not to totally die when he came over to say hello. It was hard because my heart kept skipping beats. He extended his hand out and I took it and did a little curtsy while he bowed forward. God I LOVE old school ballroom etiquette! I think he said I looked nice. I'm not exactly sure now that I think about it. My brain always turns to mush around him.
The four of us headed out to the lobby where it was finally starting to fill up with people. I started snapping some pictures of everyone in their finery. Then I asked E if she would have a picture with me. And then I asked Mr. David if he'd mind a photo.
"Mind? No, I demand it!"
*giggle* That fine photo was the one in my previous post. I really think we make a handsome couple.
We chatted about how he had to get his tux taken in. Apparently he lost a bunch of weight since last year. I saw pictures from last year's Ball and I did notice he was a bit fuller in the face but I didn't notice him being significantly larger. Now he's just freaking chiseled.
E and I headed over to the bar where I discovered it was a cash bar. GAH! You'd think for $110 ticket, they'd throw in a least one drink! No such luck. And it was bloody expensive - $7 for a domestic beer and $12 for a glass of wine! HOLY BANANAS! If I hadn't spent $30 on my tiara, I may have been able to buy some booze. Oh well, water for me! I think that was probably a good thing given that I'm so terribly awkward at ballroom dancing.
We headed back over to where everyone was mingled and I ran into Nicole again who introduced me to her dance partner S and her husband JF. She told me that I would be sitting at her table with S, JF and Mr. David. I smiled casually and commented on how she was lucky to have a handsome guy on either side of her. On the inside I was screaming OH YEAH BABY!!!!
We all headed inside for the start of the festivities. There were place cards at the table and mine was right next to his!!!! I almost did a Happy Dance. I knew there would be a better than good chance I'd be at his table, but it never occurred to me that I could actually end up seated beside him. Thank you Sweet Baby Jesus!! WHOO!!!
The evening started off with a welcome from the owner of the school and a few performances. As I was looking through the program, I came to the listing for my performance. We were the first ones up after dinner. Yay! Everyone would be happy and full which would mean they'd be more forgiving if I ended up getting stuck in the duct tape. I also noticed the way our names were listed that mine and his were next to each other. Just like the two of us at the table. Awww!
Dinner service began and I suddenly got really nervous. This was the moment I'd been dreaming about ever since my Fairy Godmother made it possible for me to go to the ball. What was I going to say? Would he even talk to me? Would he be interested in what I had to say? What if I get food stuck in my teeth? All these questions were running through my mind when the servers came around with the bread rolls. And then he asked, "Do you want some butter?"
"Yes, thank you."
"I usually don't eat butter. So I'm going to have lots tonight." He scooped two of the butter balls out of the dish and put them onto his bread plate.
"What about 'I Can't Believe It's Not Butter'?"
"Oh margarine? Yes, I usually have that. I buy Becel."
"I use that too. I heard it's better for you than butter, but I'm not exactly sure how something synthetic could be better than something natural."
Wow. We were having a conversation about butter and margarine. I was trying to be witty and charming and the best thing I could come up with is "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter". Really smooth Paprika, really smooth. Yeesh.
As we ate our bread, we both started humming along to the background music that was playing. I told him if they kept playing songs I know, I'd end up singing more than dancing.
"Three Times a Lady" started playing and Mr. David asked who sang it. I responded with Lionel Richie. He asked if it was when Lionel was still a part of the Commodores. I confidently responded no, it was when he was a solo artist. (Turns out I'm wrong! AGH!) JF joined in on the conversation and he asked how exactly did one become three times a lady.
I immediately launched into a hilarious (well, I thought it was hilarious) explanation that being three times a lady was similar to the graduated drivers license system of Ontario. JF asked how I knew of this and I explained that I was going through the process myself. I'd successfully completed the first and second stages of ladyhood (we tossed around other funny terms like ladyship, ladydom, lady gaga and lady madonna before settling on ladyhood) and I was about to complete the third stage.
"What is the third stage?" asked David.
"Performing tonight and not falling down."
Everyone laughed. Well played Paprika, well played!
Nicole jumped in and asked who would be the judge. I replied HER of course as she is my teacher after all. She was pleased with that answer and happily accepted her duty as Ladyhood Judge.
The main course of chicken, mushrooms, potatoes and vegetables came out. Mr. David began asking me questions about where I grew up, about my family and about when I came to Toronto. After I answered, I asked him the same.
He is the youngest of 6 children - 3 boys and 3 girls - and he was born and raised in Edmonton. When he was 11 years old, his family moved to Toronto and have been here ever since. I was DYING to ask him how old he is, but instead, I asked him when the move happened.
"1974"
Mental math clearly showed him to be 12 years old than me. And more mental math equalled him to be 47 years old.
I'm in love with a 47 year old. I'M IN LOVE WITH A 47 YEAR OLD!
I told him that he is 12 years older than me. And a few minutes later, after he finished doing mental math, he blurted out, "You were born in 1975! You're 35!" I honestly believe he thought me to be in my twenties rather than in my thirties because he made a comment earlier about me being barely old enough to drink.
From that point on, I kept making jokes about his age. I made references to vinyl and the dark ages. He was a very good sport and laughed at all my jokes. He got me with a few zingers as well.
During the rest of the dinner service, I found out:
- He's an actor by trade
- He went to university and has a performing arts degree
- He's trained in ballet and jazz
- He's an uncle 8 times over
- His mother is 91 years old
- His father died 22 years to the day of the ball
- His mother never remarried
- He listens to Q107
- He doesn't like Lady Gaga
- He still has a record player and vinyl records
- He lives in the same area as the dance school
- He started ballroom dancing last year when he had the time and money to do it
He asked me a lot of questions about my family and if we are close. I told him that my Mom had passed away 26 years ago the day before. He pointed out it was weird that our parents had both died in February and almost on the same day, albeit 4 years apart. He noticed the tattoo I have on the inside of my left wrist and asked what it meant. I explained it is both my mother and father's initials, written in my father's handwriting.
"How is that?"
"How is what?"
"How is that your father's handwriting?"
"Well, I asked him to write his initials on a piece of paper and I took that to my tattoo artist and she made a stencil directly from it."
He asked me how my father coped with my mother's death. I told him he did the best he could. We were the typical European family where the father goes to work and the mother stays home and raises the kids. And after she died, we all kind of took care of each other. I told him in spite of the fact that my brothers drive me bonkers, we are very close. He found that interesting.
Dessert came out and it was this delightful chocolate cup filled with mousse and Bailey's. David inhaled his in about 10 seconds flat. I was pretty full from dinner so I only ate the mousse inside the cup. JF insisted I at least take a bite of the chocolate cup.
"I only ate half my dessert last year."
"Why is that?"
"Oh the Ball was right around the time I had started losing weight. So I wasn't allowed to eat my whole dessert."
"Well, you sure made up for it tonight."
We settled into tea and coffee and then it was announced there would be some general dancing before the performances.
I was really excited about this because it was my first time getting a taste of social ballroom dancing. And I was really terrified because I know I'm more likely to trip and fall around Mr. David.
A Meringue kicked things off and I asked David to dance. He said sure, but he didn't really know how to do the Meringue. Okay seriously? I've seen him Rumba and Cha-Cha like nobody's business and he was telling me he couldn't step from side to side to the beat of the music?
Turns out he was right. He didn't know how to Meringue. I died laughing! But we muddled our way through it without any injuries to ourselves or the people around us.
The next song was a Waltz and David went off to find another partner. I was happy to sit and watch everyone twirl around. It was so magical! All of the professional people were on the outside circle and those who weren't as experienced took the inside circle. The whole floor was moving as one entity. Truly beautiful!
The third song was a Quickstep and I was quite prepared to stay seated as I've never danced that before. However, a young blonde guy came over to me and invited me to dance. I told him I'd never done it before and he didn't seem to care. That was a fucking train wreck. I really should have been adamant in saying no. He was stepping all over my feet and I was tripping and unable to keep time.
By the last few bars of the song I finally managed to figure out the basic step but it was too late. He bowed and thanked me. I was the one who should have been thanking him for not pointing and laughing or slapping me for being completely inept.
Next up was my performance! I took to the floor with my partner as David went with his partner to the other side of the floor. We started on opposite ends with our backs to each other. All of a sudden my brain clued in that this would be my first ever ballroom performance in front of people and technically in front of him!
That would also be the very first time in my life that I've ever been nervous before a performance. I've never felt panic like that before! My heart was thumping, I immediately started sweating and I know that I had a frozen smile pasted on my face.
The music started and my brain switched into performance mode. I took a deep breath and just started moving. I really concentrated on making sure I was emoting properly and doing all the stylings with my arms.
Two minutes and it was over to thunderous applause! My partner and I made our way back to my table and Nicole said, "THREE TIMES A LADY!!!!"
It was official, I reached ladyhood status! Nicole hugged me and JF hugged me. I got lots of, "Great performance" from various other people.
(I think I need a sandwich now. I've been typing for over an hour!)
Fast forward to more of the general dancing. David and I danced a Cha-Cha that was hot, if I do say so myself. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm way better at the Latin dances than the Smooth dances. I was really getting into it and I could tell he was enjoying that. Then I clunked out on the stupid duct tape! UGH! It's hard to be sexy when your heel gets stuck to the floor.
We did a Rumba, some Salsa and eventually we did the Foxtrot. I think I liked the Foxtrot the best because we were in a very close hold. I could feel all the muscles in his arms and legs moving. (I just got chills up and down my spine thinking about that.)
At the end of that dance he looked down at me and said, "You're a good follow." That is probably the best compliment I could get from a leader on the dance floor.
We were going to dance the Waltz when the Blonde Guy came back and asked me to dance. David was just setting down his beer when he noticed the other guy with his hand out inviting me to the floor. Then BG realized that he had trod on David's dance territory. He apologized and was starting to walk away. David said it was okay that he could have me for that dance. BG asked if David were sure.
I jumped in with, "Please boys, fight over me!" They both laughed. David conceded and off I went with BG.
I have to say, the Waltz with BG was pretty good! We were dancing in the outside circle so we were moving rather quickly. But I managed to hold my own! At the end of the dance, BG thanked me and gave me a big hug. How cool is that?!
We headed into the end of the evening and a West Coast Swing was playing. I asked David to dance and he got all scared and said, "NO! I don't know how to WCS." I was all like, "Whatever dude, let's just go do it." And he was insistent that he didn't know how to do it. Apparently the follower's steps are completely different from the leader's and you actually do have to know your own part.
I looked at him and said, "So let's just go groove then."
He looked at me puzzled.
I took him by the hand and led him to the dance floor. I just started to dance the way I do at clubs.
And at that moment folks, it was totally the scene from Dirty Dancing when Johnny brings Baby onto the dance floor and he shows her how to dirty dance.
My hips were bumping his hips. I swayed and sashayed. I had my arms up around his neck. And I did every sexy move I could think of.
And he was totally digging it! At least I think he was because he didn't run away screaming in the other direction - which is what usually happens to me at a club when I try dancing with a guy I think is cute.
For the rest of the night, we DANCED!! No more prim and proper holds. We wuz gettin' DOWN!
He was getting really into it, to the point where a bunch of the instructors got in on the action!
Just after midnight, the Ball was officially over. I changed my shoes, gathered my things and began making the rounds to bid everyone good night. My Friday Showcase instructor gave me a bear hug and told me that I rocked. The owner of the school gave me a huge hug and told me that my Waltz performance was beautiful.
After I finished saying good night to everyone else, I made my way over to David.
"I had a lot of fun dancing with you tonight."
"Thanks David. I know I'm a lot of fun to dance with."
He laughed.
"Did I mention that I'm freaking hilarious?"
He laughed some more. He leaned in and gave me a really nice hug.
"I'll see you on Wednesday at class."
"Yes sir."
"Yes ma'am."
Be forewarned, this is gonna be a looooooooooong post. So I'd recommend you grab a drink and a snack. I wouldn't want anyone to suffer from dehydration and/or malnourishment while reading through this behemoth post.
I'll start with this - I'm 10000000% (that would be ten million percent) in love with Mr. David. He is absolutely my dream guy. He's smart, funny, genuine, has a great sense of humour and is devastatingly handsome in a tux.
I spent about 2 hours getting ready for the ball. I did my own hair and make up and I think I looked pretty good for someone who can barely identify with her feminine side. I wore a necklace and matching earrings that Jelly gave to me as a belated birthday present. I did not end up wearing the street shoes that I wanted. Somehow, I've managed to lose a pair of 4" red stiletto heels in my tiny apartment. I ended up wearing a pair of cute little black heels that I've worn many times and many places.
Everyone kept looking at me on the streetcar. Probably because I was totally rockin' my tiara! I ended up running into a friend of mine and he said I looked FABULOUS! That gave me a much needed confidence boost.
I got to the King Edward a little before 6pm. My heart started thumping going up the grand staircase to the ballroom. For those of you who don't know, the King Edward is one of the oldest hotels in Toronto. They've stayed true to its original art deco glory. It's glorious and romantic and the perfect place for a Ball.
I managed to get up the stairs without tripping or making a fool of myself. I set my shoulders down and put my head up high and walked around the corner to the check in table.
And, there was no one there.
Holy crap I was early! So much for my grand entrance!
I stood awkwardly at the table for a while before my instructor Nicole came out of the ballroom. We hugged and shrieked at each other's fabulous outfits. She told me to head inside as my Waltz partner was already there doing a run through of our choreography.
I stepped inside and immediately my breath was taken away. The ballroom was GORGEOUS! I felt like I'd stepped inside a fairytale.
My partner greeted me and commented on how nice I looked. I returned the compliment. We moved to the dance floor to start practicing. We did a quick run through and everything seemed a-okay, aside from the ghastly duct tape keeping the dance floor together! My heel got stuck in it once so I made a mental note to step over that portion during our routine.
My friend (and dance school receptionist) E came in and we squealed at how gorgeous we looked in our awesome dresses. :) She took some pictures of myself and my dance partner. While we were doing that, Mr. David began to approach.
Okay, so I really tried not to totally die when he came over to say hello. It was hard because my heart kept skipping beats. He extended his hand out and I took it and did a little curtsy while he bowed forward. God I LOVE old school ballroom etiquette! I think he said I looked nice. I'm not exactly sure now that I think about it. My brain always turns to mush around him.
The four of us headed out to the lobby where it was finally starting to fill up with people. I started snapping some pictures of everyone in their finery. Then I asked E if she would have a picture with me. And then I asked Mr. David if he'd mind a photo.
"Mind? No, I demand it!"
*giggle* That fine photo was the one in my previous post. I really think we make a handsome couple.
We chatted about how he had to get his tux taken in. Apparently he lost a bunch of weight since last year. I saw pictures from last year's Ball and I did notice he was a bit fuller in the face but I didn't notice him being significantly larger. Now he's just freaking chiseled.
E and I headed over to the bar where I discovered it was a cash bar. GAH! You'd think for $110 ticket, they'd throw in a least one drink! No such luck. And it was bloody expensive - $7 for a domestic beer and $12 for a glass of wine! HOLY BANANAS! If I hadn't spent $30 on my tiara, I may have been able to buy some booze. Oh well, water for me! I think that was probably a good thing given that I'm so terribly awkward at ballroom dancing.
We headed back over to where everyone was mingled and I ran into Nicole again who introduced me to her dance partner S and her husband JF. She told me that I would be sitting at her table with S, JF and Mr. David. I smiled casually and commented on how she was lucky to have a handsome guy on either side of her. On the inside I was screaming OH YEAH BABY!!!!
We all headed inside for the start of the festivities. There were place cards at the table and mine was right next to his!!!! I almost did a Happy Dance. I knew there would be a better than good chance I'd be at his table, but it never occurred to me that I could actually end up seated beside him. Thank you Sweet Baby Jesus!! WHOO!!!
The evening started off with a welcome from the owner of the school and a few performances. As I was looking through the program, I came to the listing for my performance. We were the first ones up after dinner. Yay! Everyone would be happy and full which would mean they'd be more forgiving if I ended up getting stuck in the duct tape. I also noticed the way our names were listed that mine and his were next to each other. Just like the two of us at the table. Awww!
Dinner service began and I suddenly got really nervous. This was the moment I'd been dreaming about ever since my Fairy Godmother made it possible for me to go to the ball. What was I going to say? Would he even talk to me? Would he be interested in what I had to say? What if I get food stuck in my teeth? All these questions were running through my mind when the servers came around with the bread rolls. And then he asked, "Do you want some butter?"
"Yes, thank you."
"I usually don't eat butter. So I'm going to have lots tonight." He scooped two of the butter balls out of the dish and put them onto his bread plate.
"What about 'I Can't Believe It's Not Butter'?"
"Oh margarine? Yes, I usually have that. I buy Becel."
"I use that too. I heard it's better for you than butter, but I'm not exactly sure how something synthetic could be better than something natural."
Wow. We were having a conversation about butter and margarine. I was trying to be witty and charming and the best thing I could come up with is "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter". Really smooth Paprika, really smooth. Yeesh.
As we ate our bread, we both started humming along to the background music that was playing. I told him if they kept playing songs I know, I'd end up singing more than dancing.
"Three Times a Lady" started playing and Mr. David asked who sang it. I responded with Lionel Richie. He asked if it was when Lionel was still a part of the Commodores. I confidently responded no, it was when he was a solo artist. (Turns out I'm wrong! AGH!) JF joined in on the conversation and he asked how exactly did one become three times a lady.
I immediately launched into a hilarious (well, I thought it was hilarious) explanation that being three times a lady was similar to the graduated drivers license system of Ontario. JF asked how I knew of this and I explained that I was going through the process myself. I'd successfully completed the first and second stages of ladyhood (we tossed around other funny terms like ladyship, ladydom, lady gaga and lady madonna before settling on ladyhood) and I was about to complete the third stage.
"What is the third stage?" asked David.
"Performing tonight and not falling down."
Everyone laughed. Well played Paprika, well played!
Nicole jumped in and asked who would be the judge. I replied HER of course as she is my teacher after all. She was pleased with that answer and happily accepted her duty as Ladyhood Judge.
The main course of chicken, mushrooms, potatoes and vegetables came out. Mr. David began asking me questions about where I grew up, about my family and about when I came to Toronto. After I answered, I asked him the same.
He is the youngest of 6 children - 3 boys and 3 girls - and he was born and raised in Edmonton. When he was 11 years old, his family moved to Toronto and have been here ever since. I was DYING to ask him how old he is, but instead, I asked him when the move happened.
"1974"
Mental math clearly showed him to be 12 years old than me. And more mental math equalled him to be 47 years old.
I'm in love with a 47 year old. I'M IN LOVE WITH A 47 YEAR OLD!
I told him that he is 12 years older than me. And a few minutes later, after he finished doing mental math, he blurted out, "You were born in 1975! You're 35!" I honestly believe he thought me to be in my twenties rather than in my thirties because he made a comment earlier about me being barely old enough to drink.
From that point on, I kept making jokes about his age. I made references to vinyl and the dark ages. He was a very good sport and laughed at all my jokes. He got me with a few zingers as well.
During the rest of the dinner service, I found out:
- He's an actor by trade
- He went to university and has a performing arts degree
- He's trained in ballet and jazz
- He's an uncle 8 times over
- His mother is 91 years old
- His father died 22 years to the day of the ball
- His mother never remarried
- He listens to Q107
- He doesn't like Lady Gaga
- He still has a record player and vinyl records
- He lives in the same area as the dance school
- He started ballroom dancing last year when he had the time and money to do it
He asked me a lot of questions about my family and if we are close. I told him that my Mom had passed away 26 years ago the day before. He pointed out it was weird that our parents had both died in February and almost on the same day, albeit 4 years apart. He noticed the tattoo I have on the inside of my left wrist and asked what it meant. I explained it is both my mother and father's initials, written in my father's handwriting.
"How is that?"
"How is what?"
"How is that your father's handwriting?"
"Well, I asked him to write his initials on a piece of paper and I took that to my tattoo artist and she made a stencil directly from it."
He asked me how my father coped with my mother's death. I told him he did the best he could. We were the typical European family where the father goes to work and the mother stays home and raises the kids. And after she died, we all kind of took care of each other. I told him in spite of the fact that my brothers drive me bonkers, we are very close. He found that interesting.
Dessert came out and it was this delightful chocolate cup filled with mousse and Bailey's. David inhaled his in about 10 seconds flat. I was pretty full from dinner so I only ate the mousse inside the cup. JF insisted I at least take a bite of the chocolate cup.
"I only ate half my dessert last year."
"Why is that?"
"Oh the Ball was right around the time I had started losing weight. So I wasn't allowed to eat my whole dessert."
"Well, you sure made up for it tonight."
We settled into tea and coffee and then it was announced there would be some general dancing before the performances.
I was really excited about this because it was my first time getting a taste of social ballroom dancing. And I was really terrified because I know I'm more likely to trip and fall around Mr. David.
A Meringue kicked things off and I asked David to dance. He said sure, but he didn't really know how to do the Meringue. Okay seriously? I've seen him Rumba and Cha-Cha like nobody's business and he was telling me he couldn't step from side to side to the beat of the music?
Turns out he was right. He didn't know how to Meringue. I died laughing! But we muddled our way through it without any injuries to ourselves or the people around us.
The next song was a Waltz and David went off to find another partner. I was happy to sit and watch everyone twirl around. It was so magical! All of the professional people were on the outside circle and those who weren't as experienced took the inside circle. The whole floor was moving as one entity. Truly beautiful!
The third song was a Quickstep and I was quite prepared to stay seated as I've never danced that before. However, a young blonde guy came over to me and invited me to dance. I told him I'd never done it before and he didn't seem to care. That was a fucking train wreck. I really should have been adamant in saying no. He was stepping all over my feet and I was tripping and unable to keep time.
By the last few bars of the song I finally managed to figure out the basic step but it was too late. He bowed and thanked me. I was the one who should have been thanking him for not pointing and laughing or slapping me for being completely inept.
Next up was my performance! I took to the floor with my partner as David went with his partner to the other side of the floor. We started on opposite ends with our backs to each other. All of a sudden my brain clued in that this would be my first ever ballroom performance in front of people and technically in front of him!
That would also be the very first time in my life that I've ever been nervous before a performance. I've never felt panic like that before! My heart was thumping, I immediately started sweating and I know that I had a frozen smile pasted on my face.
The music started and my brain switched into performance mode. I took a deep breath and just started moving. I really concentrated on making sure I was emoting properly and doing all the stylings with my arms.
Two minutes and it was over to thunderous applause! My partner and I made our way back to my table and Nicole said, "THREE TIMES A LADY!!!!"
It was official, I reached ladyhood status! Nicole hugged me and JF hugged me. I got lots of, "Great performance" from various other people.
(I think I need a sandwich now. I've been typing for over an hour!)
Fast forward to more of the general dancing. David and I danced a Cha-Cha that was hot, if I do say so myself. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm way better at the Latin dances than the Smooth dances. I was really getting into it and I could tell he was enjoying that. Then I clunked out on the stupid duct tape! UGH! It's hard to be sexy when your heel gets stuck to the floor.
We did a Rumba, some Salsa and eventually we did the Foxtrot. I think I liked the Foxtrot the best because we were in a very close hold. I could feel all the muscles in his arms and legs moving. (I just got chills up and down my spine thinking about that.)
At the end of that dance he looked down at me and said, "You're a good follow." That is probably the best compliment I could get from a leader on the dance floor.
We were going to dance the Waltz when the Blonde Guy came back and asked me to dance. David was just setting down his beer when he noticed the other guy with his hand out inviting me to the floor. Then BG realized that he had trod on David's dance territory. He apologized and was starting to walk away. David said it was okay that he could have me for that dance. BG asked if David were sure.
I jumped in with, "Please boys, fight over me!" They both laughed. David conceded and off I went with BG.
I have to say, the Waltz with BG was pretty good! We were dancing in the outside circle so we were moving rather quickly. But I managed to hold my own! At the end of the dance, BG thanked me and gave me a big hug. How cool is that?!
We headed into the end of the evening and a West Coast Swing was playing. I asked David to dance and he got all scared and said, "NO! I don't know how to WCS." I was all like, "Whatever dude, let's just go do it." And he was insistent that he didn't know how to do it. Apparently the follower's steps are completely different from the leader's and you actually do have to know your own part.
I looked at him and said, "So let's just go groove then."
He looked at me puzzled.
I took him by the hand and led him to the dance floor. I just started to dance the way I do at clubs.
And at that moment folks, it was totally the scene from Dirty Dancing when Johnny brings Baby onto the dance floor and he shows her how to dirty dance.
My hips were bumping his hips. I swayed and sashayed. I had my arms up around his neck. And I did every sexy move I could think of.
And he was totally digging it! At least I think he was because he didn't run away screaming in the other direction - which is what usually happens to me at a club when I try dancing with a guy I think is cute.
For the rest of the night, we DANCED!! No more prim and proper holds. We wuz gettin' DOWN!
He was getting really into it, to the point where a bunch of the instructors got in on the action!
Just after midnight, the Ball was officially over. I changed my shoes, gathered my things and began making the rounds to bid everyone good night. My Friday Showcase instructor gave me a bear hug and told me that I rocked. The owner of the school gave me a huge hug and told me that my Waltz performance was beautiful.
After I finished saying good night to everyone else, I made my way over to David.
"I had a lot of fun dancing with you tonight."
"Thanks David. I know I'm a lot of fun to dance with."
He laughed.
"Did I mention that I'm freaking hilarious?"
He laughed some more. He leaned in and gave me a really nice hug.
"I'll see you on Wednesday at class."
"Yes sir."
"Yes ma'am."
Sunday, February 21, 2010
All Wrong
There are two very disturbing things about this picture.
1. She's got man hands.
2. Her man hands touch when reaching around her own waist.
I liked you much better when you looked like this:
2. Her man hands touch when reaching around her own waist.
I liked you much better when you looked like this:
Geezus Renee, GO EAT A FUCKING SANDWICH! There's enough starvation in this world already!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Okay Really?
A friend of mine has a matchmaking service and she sent me along a picture of a guy and asked if I'd be interested. I said sure. She sent him mine, and he was all sure. And then this happened:
From: H
To: Paprika
Sent: Fri, Feb 12, 2010 at 12:58 PM
Hi Paprika,
Just wanted to say hi and hope you've started a great day. I came back to Toronto after living in Detroit for 10 years. How long have you been here? What type of music do you play/listen to? I live currently close to hwy 404 & 401. Where about in T.O do you live? I'll leave it at this but I'd like to get to know you more and make plans to meet. Until then, do you prefer to chat online or talk on the phone?
Cheers
H
p.s. Happy belated Birthday :)
From: Paprika
To: H
Sent: Fri, February 12, 2010 1:20:25 PM
Hey H,
Thanks for the email and the belated birthday wishes. :)
Detroit eh? Wow! How was it living there? Everything I've ever heard about Detroit is that it's a rough city. I live in midtown, been here for over 10 years. I moved here after I finished my degree. I grew up in Niagara, which where my father, brothers and the majority of my childhood friends still live. I try to get down there at least once a month. It always feels like a mini vacation when I go there because the pace is just so slow compared to here.
So how do you know C? For now let's chat via email and then we'll take it from there. Hope you have a good weekend.
Paprika :)
From: Paprika
To: H
Sent: Wed, February 17, 2010 3:02:37 PM
Hey H,
My apologies for the long delay in responding. I had a friend fly in from Winnipeg for the long weekend so we spent the better part of three days running around and doing as much as possible with the time she had here. We managed to hit the Auto Show which was really cool. She sat in a Corvette. I sat in a Mini Cooper. LOL.
Anyway, with regards to talking/chatting/email etc, I'd like to exchange a few more emails before moving the conversation to the phone. I agree, in not investing too much time online as the only way to really get to know a person is to meet them in person. :)
How was your weekend?
P :)
From: H
To: Paprika
Date: Sat, Feb 20, 2010 at 1:14 PM
Hi Paprika, I don't think emailing would work for me for the reasons I mentioned before. However, I like to wish you good luck in your search. H
Okay, so how did I manage to get dumped before this ever even had a chance to start? Honestly, I want to bang my face against a wall. SERIOUSLY DUDE?!
Here's a tip for you H. Don't give someone the option if you don't want them to choose that option.
In his first email, he was the one who asked, "Until then, do you prefer to chat online or talk on the phone?" I picked online. Apparently, that was the wrong answer.
What he should have done was given me his phone number and said, "I'd love to talk in person, here's my number. When you're ready, give me a call."
It's no wonder he's still single.
From: H
To: Paprika
Sent: Fri, Feb 12, 2010 at 12:58 PM
Hi Paprika,
Just wanted to say hi and hope you've started a great day. I came back to Toronto after living in Detroit for 10 years. How long have you been here? What type of music do you play/listen to? I live currently close to hwy 404 & 401. Where about in T.O do you live? I'll leave it at this but I'd like to get to know you more and make plans to meet. Until then, do you prefer to chat online or talk on the phone?
Cheers
H
p.s. Happy belated Birthday :)
From: Paprika
To: H
Sent: Fri, February 12, 2010 1:20:25 PM
Hey H,
Thanks for the email and the belated birthday wishes. :)
Detroit eh? Wow! How was it living there? Everything I've ever heard about Detroit is that it's a rough city. I live in midtown, been here for over 10 years. I moved here after I finished my degree. I grew up in Niagara, which where my father, brothers and the majority of my childhood friends still live. I try to get down there at least once a month. It always feels like a mini vacation when I go there because the pace is just so slow compared to here.
So how do you know C? For now let's chat via email and then we'll take it from there. Hope you have a good weekend.
Paprika :)
From: H
To: Paprika
Sent: Sat, Feb 13, 2010 at 9:20 AM
Hi P,
Most people live in Detroit suburbs. I bought my condo back in 2002 and was able to rent it out last summer. Despite your impression of the Motor city, it has changed in the last few years. However, more and more people moved out of Southeast Michigan in the last 5-7 years as you can imagine with the downturn of auto sector.
Niagara huh? small town life, like a motion picture at a slow pace! I don't mind visiting but actually living there would not do it for me. I like to feel the city life.
I am on Meetup.com and C had a matchmaking group which I signed up for there. What about you?
As far as emailing, I don't think you can get to know someone through that and it takes too long. I usually meet people after 1 or 2 chat or phone talks to see if there's a chemistry. My several last experiences with email took over a month (they lived 6 blocks from my house !) and when I met them there was not enough chemistry.
So, I don't want to go down that path again. Plus, on email AND chat, there is potential misinterpretation since you don't see the other person's face or hear their voice. So, let me know if this works for you. If you're not comfortable with other than email, I would understand and it's cool ! Have a good weekend
H
To: Paprika
Sent: Sat, Feb 13, 2010 at 9:20 AM
Hi P,
Most people live in Detroit suburbs. I bought my condo back in 2002 and was able to rent it out last summer. Despite your impression of the Motor city, it has changed in the last few years. However, more and more people moved out of Southeast Michigan in the last 5-7 years as you can imagine with the downturn of auto sector.
Niagara huh? small town life, like a motion picture at a slow pace! I don't mind visiting but actually living there would not do it for me. I like to feel the city life.
I am on Meetup.com and C had a matchmaking group which I signed up for there. What about you?
As far as emailing, I don't think you can get to know someone through that and it takes too long. I usually meet people after 1 or 2 chat or phone talks to see if there's a chemistry. My several last experiences with email took over a month (they lived 6 blocks from my house !) and when I met them there was not enough chemistry.
So, I don't want to go down that path again. Plus, on email AND chat, there is potential misinterpretation since you don't see the other person's face or hear their voice. So, let me know if this works for you. If you're not comfortable with other than email, I would understand and it's cool ! Have a good weekend
H
From: Paprika
To: H
Sent: Wed, February 17, 2010 3:02:37 PM
Hey H,
My apologies for the long delay in responding. I had a friend fly in from Winnipeg for the long weekend so we spent the better part of three days running around and doing as much as possible with the time she had here. We managed to hit the Auto Show which was really cool. She sat in a Corvette. I sat in a Mini Cooper. LOL.
Anyway, with regards to talking/chatting/email etc, I'd like to exchange a few more emails before moving the conversation to the phone. I agree, in not investing too much time online as the only way to really get to know a person is to meet them in person. :)
How was your weekend?
P :)
From: H
To: Paprika
Date: Sat, Feb 20, 2010 at 1:14 PM
Hi Paprika, I don't think emailing would work for me for the reasons I mentioned before. However, I like to wish you good luck in your search. H
Okay, so how did I manage to get dumped before this ever even had a chance to start? Honestly, I want to bang my face against a wall. SERIOUSLY DUDE?!
Here's a tip for you H. Don't give someone the option if you don't want them to choose that option.
In his first email, he was the one who asked, "Until then, do you prefer to chat online or talk on the phone?" I picked online. Apparently, that was the wrong answer.
What he should have done was given me his phone number and said, "I'd love to talk in person, here's my number. When you're ready, give me a call."
It's no wonder he's still single.
RIP CJZ
I miss you.
I love you.
I wish there was some way I could talk to you.
I'll be singing tonight. I hope you can hear me.
RIP CJZ
Nov. 14, 1938 - Feb. 20, 1984
I love you.
I wish there was some way I could talk to you.
I'll be singing tonight. I hope you can hear me.
RIP CJZ
Nov. 14, 1938 - Feb. 20, 1984
Friday, February 19, 2010
It's In Me To Give
I donated blood last night. I donated once in December and before that, back in '07. The long hiatus was not by choice. I kept getting tattoos and then travelling to places with a high risk of malaria. (Hello Dominican Republic, WTF?) So I'm finally back on the good list, so to speak.
I'm a faster than average donor. My best time was last night - 6 minutes flat! There were two guys who had started before I did, and I was finished before them. Ha! Take that boys!
My blood was especially eager to leave me yesterday. When the nurse pricked my finger for the iron test, it came shooting out so fast it actually splashed! Lucky for her, she was sitting behind a plastic shield.
After I was finished the actual donation, blood just kept pouring out of the puncture site. It was looking like a bit of a massacre. The nurse had to change my bandage, and then wrap a tensor band around my arm to maintain the pressure. That's the first time I've ever had that happen. Weird.
When I got home, the season premiere of LA Ink was on. And that immediately triggered the itch for another tattoo! GAH! I've got two designs I've been working on that I really want.
I have to hold off on the ink until at least June so I can donate two more times. I signed up to be a lifetime donor, which means I promise to donate blood at least 4 times per year. Last night was #2, and my next appointment is scheduled for April. Which means I need one more donation after April and I'll have kept my promise.
I just have to keep my Dad and Anne Shirley at the front of my thoughts whenever the itch for a tattoo flares up. Both of them have been saved by blood transfusions. And it would have been a shame if their type hadn't been available because the would-be donor had gone for a tattoo instead of a donation.
I'm a faster than average donor. My best time was last night - 6 minutes flat! There were two guys who had started before I did, and I was finished before them. Ha! Take that boys!
My blood was especially eager to leave me yesterday. When the nurse pricked my finger for the iron test, it came shooting out so fast it actually splashed! Lucky for her, she was sitting behind a plastic shield.
After I was finished the actual donation, blood just kept pouring out of the puncture site. It was looking like a bit of a massacre. The nurse had to change my bandage, and then wrap a tensor band around my arm to maintain the pressure. That's the first time I've ever had that happen. Weird.
When I got home, the season premiere of LA Ink was on. And that immediately triggered the itch for another tattoo! GAH! I've got two designs I've been working on that I really want.
I have to hold off on the ink until at least June so I can donate two more times. I signed up to be a lifetime donor, which means I promise to donate blood at least 4 times per year. Last night was #2, and my next appointment is scheduled for April. Which means I need one more donation after April and I'll have kept my promise.
I just have to keep my Dad and Anne Shirley at the front of my thoughts whenever the itch for a tattoo flares up. Both of them have been saved by blood transfusions. And it would have been a shame if their type hadn't been available because the would-be donor had gone for a tattoo instead of a donation.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Same Moves
Last night, I was supposed to meet my partner from my Showcase dance class for a rehearsal before my S&T class. I was hanging around waiting for this guy to show up in our usual studio. Which also happens to be Mr. David's usual studio. And lucky me, there he was, twirling around by himself as per usual.
He walked over to me, pulling the earbuds out as he got closer. He asked me how my day was. I told him it was bonkers considering my students almost burned down the school with a bag of microwave popcorn.
"How long have you been teaching?"
"Oh, I'm not a teacher. I'm the head of student services at a private film college."
"Film? Wow. So how long have you been there?"
"Almost a year."
"Never a dull moment?"
"Nope."
I gave him my best smile. He put the ear buds back in and floated back to where he had been twirling.
I ran downstairs to see if my Showcase partner was in another studio. I poked around and saw that he was in an Argentine Tango class. Why he would tell me he's available when clearly he was not is beyond me.
So I moped back upstairs and sat for a while. I was trying to screw up the courage to go into another corner of the studio and practice my Cha-Cha by myself. I was even considering pulling out my iPod and putting in the earbuds but not actually have anything playing just so it would at least appear like I've got my shit together.
But before I could do anything, Mr. David came over again.
"Do you Rumba?"
I think my heart stopped for a few beats.
"Um, I don't know. Sure?"
He took my hand and we walked to the far side of the studio. He started to explain the rhythm of the dance, which is a 3/4 timing just like the Waltz.
We began a basic step. My feet cooperated with my brain (hurray!) and we maintained a nice rhythm. He lead me into a few turns and crossovers (I'm actually retaining proper dance terminology!) and at one point he asked me if I was sure I hadn't done this dance before. Yup, I was pretty sure.
We did some more moves when all of a sudden, the lights in the studio flickered off and on.
"Did you see that? I think we just had a brown out."
"No David. I think you're having a stroke."
He stopped and looked at me and I managed to keep a straight face for about 2 seconds before I burst out laughing. He started laughing too.
"And it runs in my family too."
Then I was the one who stopped to look at him, and he almost managed to keep a straight face. We stood there in dance hold laughing for a good minute before we regained our composure and continued on with our Rumba.
We started doing some fancier stuff. There was a lot of spinning and arm intertwining and miraculously, my brain continued to maintain complete control of my feet.
At one point, I just looked into his eyes as he was explaining something. If you asked me to tell you what he was saying, I honestly can't remember. I do remember wondering what it would be like to kiss him. Which resulted in a large grin on my face.
I noticed he suddenly started to lose his train of thought. He stopped talking all together and just looked at me and smiled.
And then, it was all over. I thanked him and mentioned I was going to try to find my partner again and he said he was going to get back to his routine.
I went back downstairs to see if my jerk store of a partner was available and nope, he was still fully participating in the Argentine Tango class. Geez!
At that point, there was only about 15 minutes before my S&T class started so I just sat down and watched Mr. David twirl around some more.
A few minutes later, this nice old lady came into the studio. She had her hair piled-up-to-there, full make-up, and was wearing a shiny brown polyester shirt with the collar popped up and green dress pants. She was a pretty rad looking lady. I took a guess she was there for S&T. She must have joined the class I had missed last week because I saw her doing the same choreography from the week before.
Mr. David saw her too and went right over to her to say hello. And then I saw him ask her a question, take her by the hand and start into a basic Rumba step.
GAH!
That quickly burst my bubble. So much for feeling special and thinking he asked me to dance because he noticed my raw talent (when I'm not busy crashing into him).
I guess he busts out the same moves with all the ladies. Even if they are 108 years old.
He walked over to me, pulling the earbuds out as he got closer. He asked me how my day was. I told him it was bonkers considering my students almost burned down the school with a bag of microwave popcorn.
"How long have you been teaching?"
"Oh, I'm not a teacher. I'm the head of student services at a private film college."
"Film? Wow. So how long have you been there?"
"Almost a year."
"Never a dull moment?"
"Nope."
I gave him my best smile. He put the ear buds back in and floated back to where he had been twirling.
I ran downstairs to see if my Showcase partner was in another studio. I poked around and saw that he was in an Argentine Tango class. Why he would tell me he's available when clearly he was not is beyond me.
So I moped back upstairs and sat for a while. I was trying to screw up the courage to go into another corner of the studio and practice my Cha-Cha by myself. I was even considering pulling out my iPod and putting in the earbuds but not actually have anything playing just so it would at least appear like I've got my shit together.
But before I could do anything, Mr. David came over again.
"Do you Rumba?"
I think my heart stopped for a few beats.
"Um, I don't know. Sure?"
He took my hand and we walked to the far side of the studio. He started to explain the rhythm of the dance, which is a 3/4 timing just like the Waltz.
We began a basic step. My feet cooperated with my brain (hurray!) and we maintained a nice rhythm. He lead me into a few turns and crossovers (I'm actually retaining proper dance terminology!) and at one point he asked me if I was sure I hadn't done this dance before. Yup, I was pretty sure.
We did some more moves when all of a sudden, the lights in the studio flickered off and on.
"Did you see that? I think we just had a brown out."
"No David. I think you're having a stroke."
He stopped and looked at me and I managed to keep a straight face for about 2 seconds before I burst out laughing. He started laughing too.
"And it runs in my family too."
Then I was the one who stopped to look at him, and he almost managed to keep a straight face. We stood there in dance hold laughing for a good minute before we regained our composure and continued on with our Rumba.
We started doing some fancier stuff. There was a lot of spinning and arm intertwining and miraculously, my brain continued to maintain complete control of my feet.
At one point, I just looked into his eyes as he was explaining something. If you asked me to tell you what he was saying, I honestly can't remember. I do remember wondering what it would be like to kiss him. Which resulted in a large grin on my face.
I noticed he suddenly started to lose his train of thought. He stopped talking all together and just looked at me and smiled.
And then, it was all over. I thanked him and mentioned I was going to try to find my partner again and he said he was going to get back to his routine.
I went back downstairs to see if my jerk store of a partner was available and nope, he was still fully participating in the Argentine Tango class. Geez!
At that point, there was only about 15 minutes before my S&T class started so I just sat down and watched Mr. David twirl around some more.
A few minutes later, this nice old lady came into the studio. She had her hair piled-up-to-there, full make-up, and was wearing a shiny brown polyester shirt with the collar popped up and green dress pants. She was a pretty rad looking lady. I took a guess she was there for S&T. She must have joined the class I had missed last week because I saw her doing the same choreography from the week before.
Mr. David saw her too and went right over to her to say hello. And then I saw him ask her a question, take her by the hand and start into a basic Rumba step.
GAH!
That quickly burst my bubble. So much for feeling special and thinking he asked me to dance because he noticed my raw talent (when I'm not busy crashing into him).
I guess he busts out the same moves with all the ladies. Even if they are 108 years old.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Cinder-ika
One of my students managed to burn a bag of popcorn in the microwave this afternoon. The whole kitchen filled up with smoke. I'm surprised the sprinklers didn't go off.
Of course, I'm the one literally left holding the burned bag. I now smell like a fire pit.
And I have dance class tonight after work. I am probably going to leave early to go home and have a shower.
I know I'm a wannabe Cinderella however, I don't think I need to actually smell like one.
Of course, I'm the one literally left holding the burned bag. I now smell like a fire pit.
And I have dance class tonight after work. I am probably going to leave early to go home and have a shower.
I know I'm a wannabe Cinderella however, I don't think I need to actually smell like one.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
And The Winner Is
I know there are still two days left on the poll to vote for my dress. However, after last night's rehearsal, the choice was made for me by my instructor.
She said specifically that the ladies should NOT wear floor length dresses as we will most definitely trip. She even said that professional ballroom dancers never wear floor length gowns in competition for that very reason.
So with 58% of the vote, Dress #2 is the winner!!!!
I bought my tiara over the weekend and it's really cute. It kinda looks like the picture below only not as thick, and without the row of jewels at the bottom or the giant jewel at the top.
She said specifically that the ladies should NOT wear floor length dresses as we will most definitely trip. She even said that professional ballroom dancers never wear floor length gowns in competition for that very reason.
So with 58% of the vote, Dress #2 is the winner!!!!
I bought my tiara over the weekend and it's really cute. It kinda looks like the picture below only not as thick, and without the row of jewels at the bottom or the giant jewel at the top.
I'm also 90% sure that I will end up sitting at the same table as Mr. David. I spoke with the receptionist at the school and explained to her that the only people I know going to the Ball are the people in my class. So she brought this to the owner's attention and she made a note beside my name to seat me with my classmates. Hurrah!
Only 4 more days until this Cinderella makes her debut!
Monday, February 15, 2010
I Told Her So
Moments like this, I just love saying, "I told you so!"
My dear friend SC sent me a text message last night which simply said, "Just got engaged!!!!"
This is the same friend who not even a year ago called me one night, distraught and crying. She was convinced she would be alone for the rest of her life. The pressure from her parents was getting to be overwhelming, especially since her brother had announced his engagement.
I told her that night it would happen for her. She asked me how I knew this. I couldn't explain to her how I knew, but I just *knew*. It was a feeling way down deep, in the core of my being. I was as sure of this as I am the sun is in the sky.
See, told her so. :)
Now if I could only tap into that ESP for my own love life. :P
My dear friend SC sent me a text message last night which simply said, "Just got engaged!!!!"
This is the same friend who not even a year ago called me one night, distraught and crying. She was convinced she would be alone for the rest of her life. The pressure from her parents was getting to be overwhelming, especially since her brother had announced his engagement.
I told her that night it would happen for her. She asked me how I knew this. I couldn't explain to her how I knew, but I just *knew*. It was a feeling way down deep, in the core of my being. I was as sure of this as I am the sun is in the sky.
See, told her so. :)
Now if I could only tap into that ESP for my own love life. :P
Friday, February 12, 2010
Good Old Bag
I've had an awesome messenger bag since 1995. This bag has travelled with me to several different continents. This bag has lived through my university days, my party days, my marriage and my divorce. This bag has been with me through thick and thin.
And today, I had to throw it out.
I know it's goofy to get upset over throwing out a bag. But it's been with me for as long as some of my friends.
Goodbye old friend. Thanks for literally carrying around my stuff for all these years.
And today, I had to throw it out.
I know it's goofy to get upset over throwing out a bag. But it's been with me for as long as some of my friends.
Goodbye old friend. Thanks for literally carrying around my stuff for all these years.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Which Dress?
You, my faithful bloggers, will get to decide which dress I'll be wearing to the Ball. I want to send a shout out to my Fairy Godmother for all her splendid help!
Dress #1
Dress #1
Dress #2
Please keep in mind the following:
1. I've taken these pictures late at night, so the stresses of the day really show on my face.
2. I'm not wearing make up.
3. I'm wearing the same bra under both dresses.
4. You can see Gizmo's ear in the last photo.
2. I'm not wearing make up.
3. I'm wearing the same bra under both dresses.
4. You can see Gizmo's ear in the last photo.
5. Be kind when leaving a comment. I know I'm not a super model and I already have deep seeded self-esteem issues that do not need any further agitation.
I will be wearing my dance shoes which are nude in colour. My pedicure is a rusty orange colour. My nails will probably be changed to a french manicure instead of black.
You can vote under the comments section or on the handy poll I've added to the page. Voting closes early next week in case you guys hate both these options and I have to find something else.
I will be wearing my dance shoes which are nude in colour. My pedicure is a rusty orange colour. My nails will probably be changed to a french manicure instead of black.
You can vote under the comments section or on the handy poll I've added to the page. Voting closes early next week in case you guys hate both these options and I have to find something else.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
My Personal Johnny
I have finally acquired some pictures of my beloved Mr. David. An email came out from the dance school with a link to the pictures from the Holiday Showcase.
And yes, I trolled every single one of those photos to find these few precious gems.
The quality is crap because I had to do a screen capture to get these pics without actually having to pay for them.
It's bad enough if we actually fall in love and get married, I'll have to fess up to this blog. But trying to explain why I'd pay money for pictures of him...
At any rate, here he is. *swoon
And yes, I trolled every single one of those photos to find these few precious gems.
The quality is crap because I had to do a screen capture to get these pics without actually having to pay for them.
It's bad enough if we actually fall in love and get married, I'll have to fess up to this blog. But trying to explain why I'd pay money for pictures of him...
At any rate, here he is. *swoon
Monday, February 8, 2010
Happy Birthday to Me
I spent most of yesterday asleep. Which was awesome.
After I finally peeled myself out of bed, I spent most of last night singing and drinking my face off. Which was totally awesome.
This morning a birthday miracle occurred - I only have a mild hangover. Yay!
I got some wise words last night from an extraordinary woman. She told me to live it and love it. And she's totally right. I am absolutely taking her words to heart.
Happy Birthday to me!!!!!
After I finally peeled myself out of bed, I spent most of last night singing and drinking my face off. Which was totally awesome.
This morning a birthday miracle occurred - I only have a mild hangover. Yay!
I got some wise words last night from an extraordinary woman. She told me to live it and love it. And she's totally right. I am absolutely taking her words to heart.
Happy Birthday to me!!!!!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
T-minus One
I love my friends!
I love my friends!
I love my friends!
Yesterday was totally awesome. We got up early-ish and went for manicures & pedicures. @CaptainBrownCow handed out little gift bags when we got there. They had all sorts of awesome goodies inside, including a mud mask, a pair of moisturizing socks and a bottle of K-Y! I think the girls at the nail salon were wondering what sort of drugs we were on while opening up the gift bags. I was dying laughing!
After getting our nails done, we hit the mall for some window shopping and a food court lunch. The ladies all got Thai and I indulged in some KFC! Oh yeah!
Then it was off to the spa for a much needed massage. OMG I was passed out cold on the massage table. I think I scared my massage therapist a bit because at one point she asked if I was okay. I was so ridiculously relaxed I probably looked dead to her.
After begrudgingly waking up, it was back to the hotel to get all dolled up for a night out. We hit an all you can eat sushi place and stuffed ourselves retarded. We were seriously debating calling it a night at that point, but Beaner rallied us and we headed off to the club.
We ended up at Tailgate Charlie's, which is a bar I used to go to back in my university days. It really brought back a lot of fuzzy, drunk memories. There was an awesome band playing and the place was packed. I was so full from dinner that I only managed to suck back one drink the entire night, but it didn't matter because I was having fun shaking my money maker for all it was worth.
Birthday Weekend Night Two = SUCCESS!
I love my friends!
I love my friends!
Yesterday was totally awesome. We got up early-ish and went for manicures & pedicures. @CaptainBrownCow handed out little gift bags when we got there. They had all sorts of awesome goodies inside, including a mud mask, a pair of moisturizing socks and a bottle of K-Y! I think the girls at the nail salon were wondering what sort of drugs we were on while opening up the gift bags. I was dying laughing!
After getting our nails done, we hit the mall for some window shopping and a food court lunch. The ladies all got Thai and I indulged in some KFC! Oh yeah!
Then it was off to the spa for a much needed massage. OMG I was passed out cold on the massage table. I think I scared my massage therapist a bit because at one point she asked if I was okay. I was so ridiculously relaxed I probably looked dead to her.
After begrudgingly waking up, it was back to the hotel to get all dolled up for a night out. We hit an all you can eat sushi place and stuffed ourselves retarded. We were seriously debating calling it a night at that point, but Beaner rallied us and we headed off to the club.
We ended up at Tailgate Charlie's, which is a bar I used to go to back in my university days. It really brought back a lot of fuzzy, drunk memories. There was an awesome band playing and the place was packed. I was so full from dinner that I only managed to suck back one drink the entire night, but it didn't matter because I was having fun shaking my money maker for all it was worth.
Birthday Weekend Night Two = SUCCESS!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
T-minus Two
I had dance class last night. Lo and behold, Mr. David was at the studio twirling around as per usual. This was surprising to me as I've never seen him on a Friday night. It was a pleasant surprise, especially since I was running late for class. I had to stay late at work because my boss fired the receptionist again. Gah. What a way to start off my birthday weekend.
I rushed into the studio and at first, I didn't even notice him twirling around. When I finally did, I noticed he had a few days of facial hair growth happening. He was totally clean shaven on Wednesday. I cannot begin to tell you how much of a turn on facial hair is for me. Yummy!
I didn't get a chance to talk to him but I did notice as the class progressed, he was doing more and more fancy moves. I think he was probably trying to get my attention but I was too busy tripping over not only my feet, but my partner's feet. Man, the instructor for Friday is just killing us with an insane cha-cha.
After class, I packed up my stuff and hit the road to Hamilton where my friends @NKRunner and @CaptainBrownCow were waiting at a hotel for my arrival. These two ladies are tremendously awesome and they were the ones who stepped up to salvage this weekend after learning of my failed Prom.
When I got to the hotel room, CBC greeted me at the door with a bottle of champagne! WHOO! NKR was still in the shower when I arrived, but she came out in a towel and gave me a great big hug. (The most action I've seen in a while.) We snacked on some chips and toasted bread with Nutella spread, while polishing off the champagne.
After sucking back a pretty substantial amount of alcohol, we made our way over to a local karaoke bar. This place was such a complete dive, it's just a step above being condemned and boarded up. As we walked in, I said, "This place is outstanding!" The girls got this weird look on their faces because they honestly couldn't figure out if I was being sarcastic or sincere.
I explained to them how I *love* this exact type of bar. It is truly the quintessential karaoke bar. There were junky tables & chairs to sit at. There were exactly 15 people there, most of whom were what I can only describe as the bottom rung of the evolutionary ladder. And all the drinks were $5 each!
We got nice and hammered and I sang my little heart out! It was exactly a perfect night of karaoke for me. The place went ballistic when I sang some Janis Joplin tunes. A young kid who was missing only one tooth tried to pick me up, and an old guy in a wheelchair missing all his front teeth copped a feel of my boob when I leaned in to give him a hug.
We staggered out of there just after last call in search of pizza. We came upon this little Halal (Yes, Halal in downtown Hamilton!) pizza joint which was jammed full with about six guys. I said hello to everyone because that's the polite thing to do when you and three of your friends are trying to squeeze themselves into a space clearly not designed to hold that many people. All of a sudden, the tallest guy there says, "Why you gotta be like that?" To which I responded, "Cuz that's how I roll!" The rest of the dudes and my girls laughed their heads off.
We stood around chatting while waiting for our pizza, and every once in a while, the tall dude would just suddenly ask me why I gotta be like that. And every time I'd tell him it's how I roll.
I still don't know how it happened, but the tall dude ended up buying everyone's pizza. And it's not like the five other guys there were his friends either. He was there with only one other guy. I'm sure it would have been cheaper if we'd just ordered a whole pizza, but whatever, that's how I roll!
We ate our pizza and then staggered back to the hotel where it took me all of two seconds to pass out.
Birthday Weekend Night One = SUCCESS!
I rushed into the studio and at first, I didn't even notice him twirling around. When I finally did, I noticed he had a few days of facial hair growth happening. He was totally clean shaven on Wednesday. I cannot begin to tell you how much of a turn on facial hair is for me. Yummy!
I didn't get a chance to talk to him but I did notice as the class progressed, he was doing more and more fancy moves. I think he was probably trying to get my attention but I was too busy tripping over not only my feet, but my partner's feet. Man, the instructor for Friday is just killing us with an insane cha-cha.
After class, I packed up my stuff and hit the road to Hamilton where my friends @NKRunner and @CaptainBrownCow were waiting at a hotel for my arrival. These two ladies are tremendously awesome and they were the ones who stepped up to salvage this weekend after learning of my failed Prom.
When I got to the hotel room, CBC greeted me at the door with a bottle of champagne! WHOO! NKR was still in the shower when I arrived, but she came out in a towel and gave me a great big hug. (The most action I've seen in a while.) We snacked on some chips and toasted bread with Nutella spread, while polishing off the champagne.
After sucking back a pretty substantial amount of alcohol, we made our way over to a local karaoke bar. This place was such a complete dive, it's just a step above being condemned and boarded up. As we walked in, I said, "This place is outstanding!" The girls got this weird look on their faces because they honestly couldn't figure out if I was being sarcastic or sincere.
I explained to them how I *love* this exact type of bar. It is truly the quintessential karaoke bar. There were junky tables & chairs to sit at. There were exactly 15 people there, most of whom were what I can only describe as the bottom rung of the evolutionary ladder. And all the drinks were $5 each!
We got nice and hammered and I sang my little heart out! It was exactly a perfect night of karaoke for me. The place went ballistic when I sang some Janis Joplin tunes. A young kid who was missing only one tooth tried to pick me up, and an old guy in a wheelchair missing all his front teeth copped a feel of my boob when I leaned in to give him a hug.
We staggered out of there just after last call in search of pizza. We came upon this little Halal (Yes, Halal in downtown Hamilton!) pizza joint which was jammed full with about six guys. I said hello to everyone because that's the polite thing to do when you and three of your friends are trying to squeeze themselves into a space clearly not designed to hold that many people. All of a sudden, the tallest guy there says, "Why you gotta be like that?" To which I responded, "Cuz that's how I roll!" The rest of the dudes and my girls laughed their heads off.
We stood around chatting while waiting for our pizza, and every once in a while, the tall dude would just suddenly ask me why I gotta be like that. And every time I'd tell him it's how I roll.
I still don't know how it happened, but the tall dude ended up buying everyone's pizza. And it's not like the five other guys there were his friends either. He was there with only one other guy. I'm sure it would have been cheaper if we'd just ordered a whole pizza, but whatever, that's how I roll!
We ate our pizza and then staggered back to the hotel where it took me all of two seconds to pass out.
Birthday Weekend Night One = SUCCESS!
Friday, February 5, 2010
T-minus Two and a Half
My friend Red emailed me this morning with the BEST surprise. Her birthday present to me will be my ticket to the Ball!
YIPPEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!
I was crying tears of joy when I read that email. I *really* feel like Cinderella now. She truly is my Fairy Godmother. First the dress, and now a ticket to the Ball!
I know I've already said this in a few of my previous posts, but I don't think I can ever say it enough - I love my friends!!!!
YIPPEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!
I was crying tears of joy when I read that email. I *really* feel like Cinderella now. She truly is my Fairy Godmother. First the dress, and now a ticket to the Ball!
I know I've already said this in a few of my previous posts, but I don't think I can ever say it enough - I love my friends!!!!
T-minus Three
One of my students gave me an early birthday present yesterday. It's probably one of the best gifts I have ever received. It now has a permanent place in my pocket.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
T-minus Four
I love Mr. David. Yup, I'm totally head-over-heels in love. If you were looking at me right now, you'd see stars and butterflies and hearts and rainbows and gumdrops and kisses all floating around me.
We were both early for dance class again (punctuality is one of the many things I love about him) and he asked me to dance while we waited for the rest of the class to show up.
This time, I managed to maintain control over my feet and we actually looked really good floating around the dance floor. So good that one of our fellow classmates said, "You guys look really good together!"
When class started, he stood right beside me as Nicole was going over what we'd be learning. She started off by telling us she'd spoken with the owner of the school and told her of our plan to perform the Waltz we'd learned. The owner is quite excited and looking forward to seeing our dance.
David then piped in with, "Oh, Paprika was just telling me how much she's looking forward to the Ball." Nicole looked at me and asked, "Really?" And I said, "Yes, yes! That's exactly what I was just saying." David chuckled to himself and Nicole picked up on the fact that he was putting words in my mouth. I smiled at Nicole and then looked over at David and he had a huge grin on his face.
Nicole then moved on to what we'd be learning this week - East Coast Swing. Yay! I *love* rhythm dances. I'm much better at rhythm than smooth dances. And I'd done ECS in the previous term so I wasn't totally lost the way I was with the Waltz. ECS is very similar to Jive in that it's quick and bouncy and super fun.
Nicole started showing us the choreography which I picked up in about two seconds. I noticed Mr. David was struggling just a little bit with it.
Finally! It was my turn to shine and not be the awkward nerd steak that I've been for the last three weeks!
The first bit of the dance was us ladies walking towards the gents in a cute and sassy strut. After the strut came a bunch of triple step turns (See, I am getting better! I'm using proper dance terminology!) where we would find ourselves facing our partners and then back to back and then facing again. The final part of the sequence was moving into a proper dance hold.
Nicole started up the music and off we went. I took a breath and made up my mind that I was gonna sass the shit out of this dance and show Mr. David what I could really do.
I strutted my stuff as I moved towards him and looked him dead in the eye. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I have an incredibly difficult time looking a guy directly in the eye when I have a crush on him. So I must commend myself on being brave enough to hold my gaze and not flinch and look away like I usually do.
Much to my pleasure, he stared me down and gave me a fantastic smile. I gave him my best come hither look which I saw him react to as we moved into the turn. When we came back around to face each other, he had a big grin on his face. I continued to sass it up through the rest of the choreography and by the time we moved into the closed dance hold, his eyes were twinkling and he was still smiling and maintaining eye contact.
We rotated partners and rotated back to each other and each time we did the dance, I strutted and sassed and he smiled in a way that really made me wonder what he was thinking. I can honestly say I was feeling some chemistry between us that I hadn't felt when we danced the Waltz.
The class just flew by and before I knew it, we were finished for the night. I spoke with Nicole afterwards to let her know I wouldn't be in class next week (I'm going to a concert with a friend and it's killing me that I'm missing class, especially since we're doing ECS now!) and she asked me again about partaking in the Ball. I told her I'm a definite yes to performing, but the question was whether or not I could figure out how to be there. Subtext: the ticket is damn expensive and I'll have to see if I strike it rich in the next few weeks.
I started gathering my stuff, changing shoes, and getting ready to head home. I was totally taking my time so that my departure would coincide with his. Another one of my dance mates came over to say goodnight and I made sure to mention loudly that I wouldn't be in class next week.
Mr. David joined us as we were moving towards the exit and he held the door open for me. We walked down the stairs together. He stopped at the doors for main reception.
"Wow, I'm beat."
"How many classes do you take per week?"
"Well until the Ball, I'm taking four private lessons and three group lessons."
"Will you turn into a pumpkin after the Ball?"
(chuckles) "Yeah. I have to see what I can afford. It's a lot of money."
"Yup, they don't come cheap."
"Well Paprika, have a good week wherever it is you're going."
"Oh, it's just a concert."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yes, it's an indie band I'm seeing at The Drake with a friend."
"Enjoy the concert Paprika."
(sigh)
I think I floated the rest of the way down the stairs and on to the street. All I could see in my mind's eye was him smiling at me.
Writing about this latest encounter is making me wonder about a few things. First, it seems as though he really wants me to go to the Ball. Now is it because he digs me and wants to see how hot I look all dressed up or is it because he's a diva and knows we need a certain number of people in order to perform? Second, he keeps asking me to dance before class. Again, is it because he likes me? I know it ain't because I'm a brilliant dancer. Or is he just so in love with dancing that he'll dance with anyone, even nerdy awkward me.
I hope my rose-coloured glasses aren't skewing what's actually happening. Because I swear that I felt *something* spark between us last night.
We were both early for dance class again (punctuality is one of the many things I love about him) and he asked me to dance while we waited for the rest of the class to show up.
This time, I managed to maintain control over my feet and we actually looked really good floating around the dance floor. So good that one of our fellow classmates said, "You guys look really good together!"
When class started, he stood right beside me as Nicole was going over what we'd be learning. She started off by telling us she'd spoken with the owner of the school and told her of our plan to perform the Waltz we'd learned. The owner is quite excited and looking forward to seeing our dance.
David then piped in with, "Oh, Paprika was just telling me how much she's looking forward to the Ball." Nicole looked at me and asked, "Really?" And I said, "Yes, yes! That's exactly what I was just saying." David chuckled to himself and Nicole picked up on the fact that he was putting words in my mouth. I smiled at Nicole and then looked over at David and he had a huge grin on his face.
Nicole then moved on to what we'd be learning this week - East Coast Swing. Yay! I *love* rhythm dances. I'm much better at rhythm than smooth dances. And I'd done ECS in the previous term so I wasn't totally lost the way I was with the Waltz. ECS is very similar to Jive in that it's quick and bouncy and super fun.
Nicole started showing us the choreography which I picked up in about two seconds. I noticed Mr. David was struggling just a little bit with it.
Finally! It was my turn to shine and not be the awkward nerd steak that I've been for the last three weeks!
The first bit of the dance was us ladies walking towards the gents in a cute and sassy strut. After the strut came a bunch of triple step turns (See, I am getting better! I'm using proper dance terminology!) where we would find ourselves facing our partners and then back to back and then facing again. The final part of the sequence was moving into a proper dance hold.
Nicole started up the music and off we went. I took a breath and made up my mind that I was gonna sass the shit out of this dance and show Mr. David what I could really do.
I strutted my stuff as I moved towards him and looked him dead in the eye. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I have an incredibly difficult time looking a guy directly in the eye when I have a crush on him. So I must commend myself on being brave enough to hold my gaze and not flinch and look away like I usually do.
Much to my pleasure, he stared me down and gave me a fantastic smile. I gave him my best come hither look which I saw him react to as we moved into the turn. When we came back around to face each other, he had a big grin on his face. I continued to sass it up through the rest of the choreography and by the time we moved into the closed dance hold, his eyes were twinkling and he was still smiling and maintaining eye contact.
We rotated partners and rotated back to each other and each time we did the dance, I strutted and sassed and he smiled in a way that really made me wonder what he was thinking. I can honestly say I was feeling some chemistry between us that I hadn't felt when we danced the Waltz.
The class just flew by and before I knew it, we were finished for the night. I spoke with Nicole afterwards to let her know I wouldn't be in class next week (I'm going to a concert with a friend and it's killing me that I'm missing class, especially since we're doing ECS now!) and she asked me again about partaking in the Ball. I told her I'm a definite yes to performing, but the question was whether or not I could figure out how to be there. Subtext: the ticket is damn expensive and I'll have to see if I strike it rich in the next few weeks.
I started gathering my stuff, changing shoes, and getting ready to head home. I was totally taking my time so that my departure would coincide with his. Another one of my dance mates came over to say goodnight and I made sure to mention loudly that I wouldn't be in class next week.
Mr. David joined us as we were moving towards the exit and he held the door open for me. We walked down the stairs together. He stopped at the doors for main reception.
"Wow, I'm beat."
"How many classes do you take per week?"
"Well until the Ball, I'm taking four private lessons and three group lessons."
"Will you turn into a pumpkin after the Ball?"
(chuckles) "Yeah. I have to see what I can afford. It's a lot of money."
"Yup, they don't come cheap."
"Well Paprika, have a good week wherever it is you're going."
"Oh, it's just a concert."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yes, it's an indie band I'm seeing at The Drake with a friend."
"Enjoy the concert Paprika."
(sigh)
I think I floated the rest of the way down the stairs and on to the street. All I could see in my mind's eye was him smiling at me.
Writing about this latest encounter is making me wonder about a few things. First, it seems as though he really wants me to go to the Ball. Now is it because he digs me and wants to see how hot I look all dressed up or is it because he's a diva and knows we need a certain number of people in order to perform? Second, he keeps asking me to dance before class. Again, is it because he likes me? I know it ain't because I'm a brilliant dancer. Or is he just so in love with dancing that he'll dance with anyone, even nerdy awkward me.
I hope my rose-coloured glasses aren't skewing what's actually happening. Because I swear that I felt *something* spark between us last night.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
T-minus Five
At this moment, I officially want to cancel my birthday. If there was a way to physically remove Feb. 8th from the calendar this year, I would do it.
I. Am. Not. Happy.
I. Am. Not. Happy.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
T-minus Six
I slept in this morning. It took me a while to wind down from being on set last night. I watched the latest "most dramatic episode" of The Bachelor and an episode of How I Met Your Mother. I fell asleep around 3am. Yeesh.
And because I'm still sleepy, I managed to spill most of my beloved medium steeped tea with milk and sugar all over my desk. Thank goodness all of the important student files were put away.
My VP came in and told me about a Larry Coryell concert he went to last night at the Old Mill. He said the next time Larry comes to town, he's getting me a ticket and we're going to see who he calls one of the best guitar players ever.
Wiarton Willie saw his shadow, which means six more weeks of winter. Which really isn't a bad thing seeing as winter weather only just recently started. Believe me, I loathe cold & snow, but I respect the natural order of things. And when it's 6C at the end of January, I get nervous. So bring it on Willie!
And the Oscar nominations were announced. Which reminded me there are several of the 10(!) best picture nominees I have yet to see. Precious and Avatar are on the top of my list.
Who knew the second day of February could be so exciting?
And because I'm still sleepy, I managed to spill most of my beloved medium steeped tea with milk and sugar all over my desk. Thank goodness all of the important student files were put away.
My VP came in and told me about a Larry Coryell concert he went to last night at the Old Mill. He said the next time Larry comes to town, he's getting me a ticket and we're going to see who he calls one of the best guitar players ever.
Wiarton Willie saw his shadow, which means six more weeks of winter. Which really isn't a bad thing seeing as winter weather only just recently started. Believe me, I loathe cold & snow, but I respect the natural order of things. And when it's 6C at the end of January, I get nervous. So bring it on Willie!
And the Oscar nominations were announced. Which reminded me there are several of the 10(!) best picture nominees I have yet to see. Precious and Avatar are on the top of my list.
Who knew the second day of February could be so exciting?
Monday, February 1, 2010
Final Countdown
This is the final week before I hit the big three-five. I decided I want to blog every day so that I can remember what it was like to be young. :P
Tonight I acted in a film for one of my students. I was acting opposite another one of my students and I got to scream in his face. My favourite of all the lines was, "FUCK OFF JERK OFF!" Ha! Honestly there are times at work where I want to scream just that in some of the faces of my more idiotic students.
I managed to get all my close ups in one take. I really pride myself in being able to hit my mark and deliver my lines the first time, every time.
I forgot how much I love acting. It's nice that I'm able to do it again without having to go through the arduous process of auditioning. Hehehe, I guess I'm sort of famous now that I don't have to read for any of my roles. :)
Tonight I acted in a film for one of my students. I was acting opposite another one of my students and I got to scream in his face. My favourite of all the lines was, "FUCK OFF JERK OFF!" Ha! Honestly there are times at work where I want to scream just that in some of the faces of my more idiotic students.
I managed to get all my close ups in one take. I really pride myself in being able to hit my mark and deliver my lines the first time, every time.
I forgot how much I love acting. It's nice that I'm able to do it again without having to go through the arduous process of auditioning. Hehehe, I guess I'm sort of famous now that I don't have to read for any of my roles. :)
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