Liesa is awesome.
Naughty Hottie is awesome.
Liesa teaching Naughty Hottie is doubly awesome.
As I said in my last post about dancing, that I am taking a Naughty Hottie class at J'Adore Dance this term. Naughty Hottie consists of toning your body with some sexy dances, and tapping in to your inner confidence Queen. Originally Jessica was scheduled to teach this class - but with her class schedule sky rocketing to the double digits, she had to make a few swaps, and Liesa took over the class, making this my first class with Liesa.
Before I had even met Liesa, I had heard about her - with her being a close friend of Erik and Athena's, she was often brought up in conversation, and made regular appearances in Erik's famed videos, and she always seemed so down to earth and fun. Then I met her, and all of my previous impressions were confirmed. Liesa is constantly laughing and joking - she's bubbly and friendly, and she has a way about her that really makes you feel welcome.
On my first day at class, she saw me and exclaimed "I didn't know you were in this class! This is going to be awesome!" I honestly didn't even know she knew who I was at that point, so that was an awesome greeting!
The class was even better! Liesa taught us a steamy routine to Brittney Spears "Slave for you", and between the hair tosses and hip rolls she was constantly cracking us up with her jokes. Liesa makes the class comfortable and fun, and has a way about her that makes you feel like you've known her for years. I kinda love when circles collide like this, because when you are friends with someone, and really like them - there's a very good chance that the friends that they pick for themselves are also pretty awesome, and it's nice to be able to expand your friend base with more awesome.
Naughty Hottie with Liesa is fast becoming one of my favorite classes and I look forward to it every week - as I'm sure Ben looks forward to the day when I finally let him see what Liesa's been teaching us! :p
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Nothing left for me to do but dance
I started dancing at a young age - 4 to be exact. I started with Ballet, and Tap. I loved dancing, and fondly remember how fun those tap shoes were to walk around in, and how many awesome marks they made on the bathroom linoleum in the basement. Unfortunately, I was recovering from a serious illness at the time, that took everything out of me, and I was too weak to continue with dance, so I had to quit after one year.
Fast forward to Grade 6, I found my dancing shoes again in Gym class in the form of line dances, (some of you may be familiar with Boot Scootin' Boogie), and I fell in love with it all over again! From there it was "Gettin Jiggy wit it", followed by Waltz, Jive, Fox Trot, and all of the other dances the public school curriculum taught us.
By Grade 10 I was hooked, I loved dance! I love it so much that I was constantly teaching others their parts (truth be told, I can Jive like a man better than I can playing the part of the woman) as well as learning my own. And when it came time to pick classes, Dance was definitely on my list. Plus it looked really good on my transcript to point out the 98 in dance, and 97 in Drama, and avoid talking about the 55 in Math...
In my high school we worked off the Copernicus system, meaning we had 2 classes a day for 3 hours a day - 10 weeks of the year. Then we wrote a final, and moved on to another 2 classes for 10 weeks. It had it's good and bad points - for one, it meant that if you did Math in your first quarter in Grade 11, and then didn't have it again until your 4th quarter in grade 12 - you wouldn't have done any math for a year and a half - rather than 2 months with a normal system, which made remembering difficult. The good part was that studying math for 3 hours a day, and then doing a final after 10 weeks - rather than doing a final in June and trying to remember something you learned in September kept things fresh in your mind.
My favorite quarter was always Dance and English - 3 hours of Dance in the morning - followed by Dance Club at lunch time, then 3 hours of English, and another 2 hours of Dance Club after school - SO MUCH DANCE!! In Dance Club we worked toward our yearly tour to Salmon Arm, where we got to tour around and perform for elementary and junior high schools. Having a group of little girls run up to get your autograph after a show is one of the best feelings - ever. Plus our dance group was like a family in so many ways - when you are dependent on someone to lift you up in a ballet number, or dip you and toss you in a jive number, you tend to trust them. And being one of the strongest girls in class (and in some cases even stronger than some of the boys) I was always the male part, and thus I was doing the throwing and catching.
After high school I took a hip hop class through the University, and then hit a lull... From 2003-2009 there was no dancing in my life (apart from the odd "girls night out"), and I missed it greatly. Which is why I was thrilled when Erik asked me to be a part of his Birthday Video as one of his back up dancers! I was nervous because I hadn't danced in years, but excited to be given the chance again!
The Video was awesome, and so much fun, and it made me realize how much I missed dancing. So I decided that come the new year, I was going to sign up for dance classes with J'Adore Dance - the studio Erik goes to. I went to a trial Fit Hop class, and decided that was the class for me - but wait! I was also asked to do make-up for J'Adore Dance's Naughty Hottie Night, which included a mini Naughty Hottie Dance class - and suddenly my schedule went from one class to two. I signed up for both, but just recently watched the end of Salsa Burn... hmmm
I think I need to save up for a Dance Pass for next semester... I see much Dancing in my future!
Fast forward to Grade 6, I found my dancing shoes again in Gym class in the form of line dances, (some of you may be familiar with Boot Scootin' Boogie), and I fell in love with it all over again! From there it was "Gettin Jiggy wit it", followed by Waltz, Jive, Fox Trot, and all of the other dances the public school curriculum taught us.
By Grade 10 I was hooked, I loved dance! I love it so much that I was constantly teaching others their parts (truth be told, I can Jive like a man better than I can playing the part of the woman) as well as learning my own. And when it came time to pick classes, Dance was definitely on my list. Plus it looked really good on my transcript to point out the 98 in dance, and 97 in Drama, and avoid talking about the 55 in Math...
In my high school we worked off the Copernicus system, meaning we had 2 classes a day for 3 hours a day - 10 weeks of the year. Then we wrote a final, and moved on to another 2 classes for 10 weeks. It had it's good and bad points - for one, it meant that if you did Math in your first quarter in Grade 11, and then didn't have it again until your 4th quarter in grade 12 - you wouldn't have done any math for a year and a half - rather than 2 months with a normal system, which made remembering difficult. The good part was that studying math for 3 hours a day, and then doing a final after 10 weeks - rather than doing a final in June and trying to remember something you learned in September kept things fresh in your mind.
My favorite quarter was always Dance and English - 3 hours of Dance in the morning - followed by Dance Club at lunch time, then 3 hours of English, and another 2 hours of Dance Club after school - SO MUCH DANCE!! In Dance Club we worked toward our yearly tour to Salmon Arm, where we got to tour around and perform for elementary and junior high schools. Having a group of little girls run up to get your autograph after a show is one of the best feelings - ever. Plus our dance group was like a family in so many ways - when you are dependent on someone to lift you up in a ballet number, or dip you and toss you in a jive number, you tend to trust them. And being one of the strongest girls in class (and in some cases even stronger than some of the boys) I was always the male part, and thus I was doing the throwing and catching.
After high school I took a hip hop class through the University, and then hit a lull... From 2003-2009 there was no dancing in my life (apart from the odd "girls night out"), and I missed it greatly. Which is why I was thrilled when Erik asked me to be a part of his Birthday Video as one of his back up dancers! I was nervous because I hadn't danced in years, but excited to be given the chance again!
The Video was awesome, and so much fun, and it made me realize how much I missed dancing. So I decided that come the new year, I was going to sign up for dance classes with J'Adore Dance - the studio Erik goes to. I went to a trial Fit Hop class, and decided that was the class for me - but wait! I was also asked to do make-up for J'Adore Dance's Naughty Hottie Night, which included a mini Naughty Hottie Dance class - and suddenly my schedule went from one class to two. I signed up for both, but just recently watched the end of Salsa Burn... hmmm
I think I need to save up for a Dance Pass for next semester... I see much Dancing in my future!
Grade 12 Dance club
January
I'm cold.
I'm very cold.
I require hot beverages and more layers.
I'm sitting at work, in a sweater and dress pants, wishing I was wrapped in several layers of cotton, under a blanket, clutching a mug of something hot and delicious. I'm not cut out for this weather.
January 17, 2011, -22 with light snow.
Not bad considering it was -23, -26, -27, -25, -28 (not including wind chill) for the previous 5 days. -22 is a heat wave in comparison! No... not really. It's still defined as "Bloody COLD!" in my world.
Ben and I have been walking a lot lately, not for the exercise, although I suppose that's a bonus, but more for the longevity of our car. You see, we live 6 city blocks from work, and for some, a very cold day would be reason to drive to work, but for us, it's just the opposite. Our condo has a nice warm parkade that our car resides in, and to drive it to work, would mean having it brave the elements, and sit outside all day in an open parking lot with no plug in, so we walk instead - I know, we're considerate that way.
It's not all that bad, we bundle up, put on two pairs of pants, several sweaters, jacket, toque, gloves and a scarf that covers most of our exposed skin, and off we go. Unfortunately the downside to walking in this cold weather, is that sometimes we don't warm up upon arriving at work. Sometimes we can feel the cold trapped in our bones for hours afterward - which is what has happened today.
I've been shivering since arriving at 8:30, and it's 10am now. I have a feeling it will be one of those days where I finally warm up just in time to walk home again!
Bleh. Every winter Alberta tests the love I have for this province... and proves the love I have for Coffee and Hot Chocolate.
I'm very cold.
I require hot beverages and more layers.
I'm sitting at work, in a sweater and dress pants, wishing I was wrapped in several layers of cotton, under a blanket, clutching a mug of something hot and delicious. I'm not cut out for this weather.
January 17, 2011, -22 with light snow.
Not bad considering it was -23, -26, -27, -25, -28 (not including wind chill) for the previous 5 days. -22 is a heat wave in comparison! No... not really. It's still defined as "Bloody COLD!" in my world.
Ben and I have been walking a lot lately, not for the exercise, although I suppose that's a bonus, but more for the longevity of our car. You see, we live 6 city blocks from work, and for some, a very cold day would be reason to drive to work, but for us, it's just the opposite. Our condo has a nice warm parkade that our car resides in, and to drive it to work, would mean having it brave the elements, and sit outside all day in an open parking lot with no plug in, so we walk instead - I know, we're considerate that way.
It's not all that bad, we bundle up, put on two pairs of pants, several sweaters, jacket, toque, gloves and a scarf that covers most of our exposed skin, and off we go. Unfortunately the downside to walking in this cold weather, is that sometimes we don't warm up upon arriving at work. Sometimes we can feel the cold trapped in our bones for hours afterward - which is what has happened today.
I've been shivering since arriving at 8:30, and it's 10am now. I have a feeling it will be one of those days where I finally warm up just in time to walk home again!
Bleh. Every winter Alberta tests the love I have for this province... and proves the love I have for Coffee and Hot Chocolate.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Old Poetry
Now and then the mood strikes to write something...pretty. These are a few of my pretty writings from the past:
It rained tonight
washed streets
glistening leaves
splashing as cars drive by
to walk in the rain, to feel the droplets on my face and hands
to have my hair soaked through, my wet shirt pressed against my skin
it doesn't ask permission, doesn't arrange a time, falls when it wants
flows where it wants to, explores corners, cracks, dips
my shoes sound different, the air tastes different, the streets look different
I'm cold, but I'm warm, I want to run and jump in puddles, I want to stand perfectly still
each droplet that explores the curve of my face, across my eyelids, down my nose
resting on my lips, a kiss
I catch drops on my tongue, in my hands, on my clothes
my hair curls and plays with the water as it meets it
I take the rain home with me, back to my street, back to my apartment
who knew one walk in the rain could give a person so much happiness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And I smiled
It snowed tonight.
I stood on my balcony and watched it fall, and I smiled.
So peaceful and serene, floating to the ground,
I watched my Breath as I exhaled, and I smiled.
I watched the trees grasp onto the falling flakes, and I smiled.
No cars, no people, no talking, no lies, just... silence.
And I Smiled.
It rained tonight
washed streets
glistening leaves
splashing as cars drive by
to walk in the rain, to feel the droplets on my face and hands
to have my hair soaked through, my wet shirt pressed against my skin
it doesn't ask permission, doesn't arrange a time, falls when it wants
flows where it wants to, explores corners, cracks, dips
my shoes sound different, the air tastes different, the streets look different
I'm cold, but I'm warm, I want to run and jump in puddles, I want to stand perfectly still
each droplet that explores the curve of my face, across my eyelids, down my nose
resting on my lips, a kiss
I catch drops on my tongue, in my hands, on my clothes
my hair curls and plays with the water as it meets it
I take the rain home with me, back to my street, back to my apartment
who knew one walk in the rain could give a person so much happiness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And I smiled
It snowed tonight.
I stood on my balcony and watched it fall, and I smiled.
So peaceful and serene, floating to the ground,
I watched my Breath as I exhaled, and I smiled.
I watched the trees grasp onto the falling flakes, and I smiled.
No cars, no people, no talking, no lies, just... silence.
And I Smiled.
First
I've never blogged before.
I have had diary's, and journals in the past, several infact - and they all have 3 or 4 entries in the beginning, and then blank pages thereafter.
I've never been able to stick with writing in a journal for more than a couple days, but perhaps that is because I have been doing it wrong. Not that there is any way to "properly" journal - but for me, I find I need to have something to say. Something on my mind, something I want to get down on paper (or screen), if I commit to writing every day, it won't happen. If I hold on to a journal that I write in when I want to express myself, and go into it with the plan that I will write when I feel like it, and not beat myself up for not maintaining a writing schedule - then I think I can do it.
So that's just what I'm going to do - that's how this blog is going to be. Sporadic - in some ways - like me.
Part of what held me back from making a blog before was the effect my car accident had on me. See, I've never been amazing at writing before, but I could express myself pretty accurately, and I took pride in being eloquent and properly using my vocabulary. But unfortunately, as a result of a car accident I was involved in in Jan 2007, my subconscious now frequently mixes up words. In my head, I know what I'm trying to say, and my brain says the words as I type them - but when I go back and re-read, I find that there is a glitch between my thoughts, and my motor skills. I write words that start with the letter of the word I wanted - but is the wrong word completely, like "used" when I wanted "us" or "talk" when I wanted "time". I also mix up different versions of words - I'll write "completely" when I meant to say "complete", or "wants" when I needed "wanted". My little glitch is the source of great frustration for me. I get embarrassed when I use the wrong words, I hate it.
My accident, involved a big truck cutting me off, and instead of t-boning him (I couldn't stop on the ice) I swerved and slammed into a tree. After the accident, not only did I mix up words when I typed, but I also developed a stutter, and words that had been in my vocabulary for years had suddenly fallen out of my brain. I was constantly forgetting the words I wanted, and when I would get upset or flustered not only did I forget more words, but I stuttered trying to force them out. Many conversations ended in me in tears.
Now 4 years later I have recovered from the stutter, and my speech is almost 100% again (I still forget the words I want, but it's very minimal in comparison to what it was), but it's typing that still has my brain jumbled. Even hand writing is fine (but really - who does that anymore these days?). To send a simple text message, I read and re-read it 3 times before pressing send - and even then I often miss things.
That being said - for anyone reading this blog - don't expect a master piece. I'm going to do my best to check and re-check my post before clicking "publish" but there are times when my brain even reads my words as correct, and then someone points it out to me later on. Also, that being said - please don't point it out. As I said, these mistakes are embarrassing for me, and to put it simply, I'm sensitive about them. The writer I was before is gone, and I'm doing my best, but I know this blog is going to be filled with incorrect words, and mistakes despite my best efforts, so please, just let them slide - it would mean so much to me if you would.
I have had diary's, and journals in the past, several infact - and they all have 3 or 4 entries in the beginning, and then blank pages thereafter.
I've never been able to stick with writing in a journal for more than a couple days, but perhaps that is because I have been doing it wrong. Not that there is any way to "properly" journal - but for me, I find I need to have something to say. Something on my mind, something I want to get down on paper (or screen), if I commit to writing every day, it won't happen. If I hold on to a journal that I write in when I want to express myself, and go into it with the plan that I will write when I feel like it, and not beat myself up for not maintaining a writing schedule - then I think I can do it.
So that's just what I'm going to do - that's how this blog is going to be. Sporadic - in some ways - like me.
Part of what held me back from making a blog before was the effect my car accident had on me. See, I've never been amazing at writing before, but I could express myself pretty accurately, and I took pride in being eloquent and properly using my vocabulary. But unfortunately, as a result of a car accident I was involved in in Jan 2007, my subconscious now frequently mixes up words. In my head, I know what I'm trying to say, and my brain says the words as I type them - but when I go back and re-read, I find that there is a glitch between my thoughts, and my motor skills. I write words that start with the letter of the word I wanted - but is the wrong word completely, like "used" when I wanted "us" or "talk" when I wanted "time". I also mix up different versions of words - I'll write "completely" when I meant to say "complete", or "wants" when I needed "wanted". My little glitch is the source of great frustration for me. I get embarrassed when I use the wrong words, I hate it.
My accident, involved a big truck cutting me off, and instead of t-boning him (I couldn't stop on the ice) I swerved and slammed into a tree. After the accident, not only did I mix up words when I typed, but I also developed a stutter, and words that had been in my vocabulary for years had suddenly fallen out of my brain. I was constantly forgetting the words I wanted, and when I would get upset or flustered not only did I forget more words, but I stuttered trying to force them out. Many conversations ended in me in tears.
Now 4 years later I have recovered from the stutter, and my speech is almost 100% again (I still forget the words I want, but it's very minimal in comparison to what it was), but it's typing that still has my brain jumbled. Even hand writing is fine (but really - who does that anymore these days?). To send a simple text message, I read and re-read it 3 times before pressing send - and even then I often miss things.
That being said - for anyone reading this blog - don't expect a master piece. I'm going to do my best to check and re-check my post before clicking "publish" but there are times when my brain even reads my words as correct, and then someone points it out to me later on. Also, that being said - please don't point it out. As I said, these mistakes are embarrassing for me, and to put it simply, I'm sensitive about them. The writer I was before is gone, and I'm doing my best, but I know this blog is going to be filled with incorrect words, and mistakes despite my best efforts, so please, just let them slide - it would mean so much to me if you would.
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