Friday, March 31, 2017

Happy Friday! 3/31/17

What's up, Wednesday?

I'm a wee bit late to the party tonight - "fashionably late!"  I'm linking up with the Flynnigans to post happy / grateful / positive things for the last week or so.  

1.  Easter decorations
This is incredibly tame compared to what I do at Halloween! 

2.  I finally got a picture of this little guy.....  
I had my camera peeking around the corner of the house, getting some bird pics and he came bopping toward the feeder...until he saw me.  Then he ran back to the bench and watched me closely.
On the down side, I learned that he & his family ate several holes in our shed where a lot of my outdoor holiday decorations are stored.  I don't think there's anything they can cause damage to, since most of the stuff in there are those plastic blowmolds.  I'll just have to make sure to check all the cords (and clean out the insides of them!)

3.  Backyard skeleton photo-shoots. 
I'm doing an Easter card exchange with some people from the HalloweenForum, so I decided to dress up my buddy Chuck like a bunny to get some pics.  Then Jack decided to help out. 

4.  My "guard dog" ^^^  who is currently laying in his favorite position when I'm on the computer - nearby and on his back with all 4 feet in the air.  He apparently likes to watch down the hall upside down for boogie men or burglars or something. 
 The cats just walk around him. 

5.  I'm happy that Miss Angela isn't like a couple of the girls from the studio who refuse to let their moms see their solo until it's done on stage for the first time.  There's been 2 that I know of.  Not Angel - she has been showing me videos since her's was half done!   Speaking of....her song is one that gets into your head and makes you crazy.  Britney Spears' Three.  OMG. 

6.  Altho I will happier when the juncos leave for the season (they're winter birds), there's no denying that they're cuties!
 7.  Princess Daisy.
 8.  Red Wings donuts from Tim Horton's!  
But let's not talk about them breaking their 26 year playoff streak.  
9.  Speaking of hockey.....this is the song I always use to remove ear-worm songs. 
Arrogant Worms - Me Like Hockey

10.  The DVR so I can now go watch DragRace that started an hour ago.  Ooops!

What's made you happy this week?

 photo http---signatures.mylivesignature.com-54494-124-9BF74C716651145ECAC7EDD1AB729D6B_zpsxkuumtdq.png

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Weigh in & dance stuff


Titles are hard, yo.
Anyhoo.  I may not post about my weigh-ins each week, but I do keep my WIP tab updated regularly.   I had a 0.3 lb loss this week.  I was kinda bummed because I felt so good, but I have to accept that it WAS a loss.

Besides finding the meetings helpful, I also happily go in order to earn the bling!
I'll be getting another charm next week.  Can't wait!  
(the pearl girl now hangs on my purse, she's not WW-related)

I'm determined to get to the gym at least 3 times this week.  I made it twice last week, and the day I planned on going, I ended up shopping with my sister for a LOT more hours than I planned on being gone.  But at least I was moving and not sitting on my butt.

I need to make up in advance for Saturday - it's Miss Angela's next dance competition. Usually that means a whole day of available grazing-type foods.  It probably won't be as bad this weekend, since it's just most of the solos (12 dances) going instead of the entire team, which would mean a shit-ton of food sitting there being tempting.  

This will be a "short" day Saturday - competition starts at 9:30 am and final awards are around 6pm.  We have to be there by 8:30 since - for the first time - Angel is the first routine of our studio!  #12 of the day.  I'd never seen her freak out about a comp before, but she did this time!  In every other comp they've gone to, the little girls go first and the seniors last.  It's backwards this time.  She's going to make sure get gets out there and tries out the stage before it all starts.  It's good to know if its sticky or slippery before going out there when it counts!  

This is a different comp that we've never been to before - it's actually a talent competition.  
So there's also singing and acting routines.  
OMG.

Thankfully those categories have the same time limits as the dancers do, so we won't have to endure agonizing 30 minute drama skits, etc. And there are only 2 other dance studios attending, and after a wee bit of stalking, they both seem to concentrate mostly on musical theater with dance almost as an afterthought.  
This should be interesting!  
Feel free to send good mojo for TeamDOS! 

One of the mom's is taking her camera and will be getting pics of all the girls, so those should be emailed to me hopefully pretty quickly.  

This Saturday is the first A-Z blogging challenge post!  I'm still planning on keeping on with regular posts, since I already have ALL my A-Z posts done & pre-scheduled.  
I feel like I have my crap together this year!  
 photo http---signatures.mylivesignature.com-54494-124-9BF74C716651145ECAC7EDD1AB729D6B_zpsxkuumtdq.png

Friday, March 24, 2017

Happy Friday 3/24/17

What's up, Wednesday?
I'm linking up with everyone over at The Flynnigans for the latest installment of  what made me happy this week.
(Guess I should have read the host pages before putting mine up - doh de doh de doh!
I edited this like 5 times because I'm a dork!)

I missed out on last week's post because a co-worker had 3 days off and when she's gone, I do her work (and very little of my own in the process).  Let's just say I now completely understand why she drinks!   I was exhausted when I got home Friday night and just wanted to lay on the bed & hear nothing louder than a cat's purr.

1.  3 Generation Girls Night Out (see previous post)

2.  Seeing the expressions on people's faces when they see us carting around a skeleton in holiday themed clothing.....
This is Chuck.  He does a lot of stuff with us!
Here he is in Tractor Supply.

3.  Sitting in the barn at my sister's house and listening to the horses eat breakfast, 
with 2 cats demanding attention.

4.  Exploring antique stores.

5.  Warmer days.

6.  An adorable tiny squirrel that I see under my bird feeder (the little booger moves to fast for me to get a pic) It looks like a tiny squirrel but runs like a chipmunk.  So stinkin' cute!

7.  RuPaul's Drag Race season 9 beginning tonight!

8.  Getting my butt back in the gym after a couple crazy weeks.

9.  Seeing those little FitBit explosions when you go over goal for the day.

10.  Lastly - my health.  

I added the last in because we got some not-happy news last weekend.  One of the moms from the studio passed away at 44 years old.  She'd been diagnosed with cancer about 2 years ago - I can't remember if it was uterine or ovarian but we all wore teal butterflies in her honor at one of the first competitions of that season and last year's recital theme was Dancers against Cancer.  I saw Renee maybe 3 months ago and while she was still driving, she needed a walker and had teared up when she told us about the latest in her long line of health issues.  

My thoughts & prayers go out to her husband & kids (Ashley is only 13 or so and the son is younger) and all the rest of her family. 


 photo http---signatures.mylivesignature.com-54494-124-9BF74C716651145ECAC7EDD1AB729D6B_zpsxkuumtdq.png

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Belated St. Pat's Post

We had our annual 3-generation St. Patrick's Girls Night Saturday night.  

We are such party animals!  We all piled into Linda's truck and went into Tractor Supply to get some stuff for one of Laurie's horses, then out to dinner at a steakhouse.  Then we went back to Laurie's, played a couple games, then sat up til 3am watching Dr. Pol on Nat Geo.  
Although we were aghast & amazed to watch Mom chug the last 1/3 of her green beer!
I had Angel do my makeup.  I'd never curled my lashes before or wore winged liner until that night.  I know she doesn't have any special face wash to get that stuff off, I tried with my usual stuff and I closely resembled a raccoon and/or Alice Cooper afterward.  I've never seen her look like that, so she's just magical, I guess.  
All of the dogs know who the treat-giver is!   
 I thought this was cute.  Goldilocks Webster went and checked out niece Lisa on her air mattress, covered in a fuzzy blanket.  Apparently it was too soft.  He checked out Jack's blanket on the floor.  It was too hard.  So he went over & settled on Angel's back - it was just right!   

Sunday I was up way too early because I heard Jack roaming around and I didn't want him going potty in the house (because he's occasionally an asshole like that) then I crawled back into my sleeping bag, hoping to catch some more zzz's.  But I started feeling guilty and thinking that the horses were starving because I always go out & feed for Laurie when I'm there.  So I was up at 7:30am, heading out to the barn. 

Angel had to leave for work while we were fixing breakfast, then the rest of us went into town to this really cool antique store called Past Tense.  They have a Halloween section upstairs and a Christmas section in the back, year-round.  Of course I got pulled upstairs. I didn't see anything that really grabbed me at first.... then I saw this awesome chandelier.  One of the arms is broken, but it's gorgeous wrought iron... and it was only $38!!  
 It's going to look fantastic in my cemetery with battery op candles, hanging from a tree. 
 I really like these steampunk-ish skulls. 
This King Neptune ornament is a nod to my Navy days.

Everyone started to scatter after that, but I went with Laurie to take the dogs for a walk before I left.  It was glorious to be out in just a hoodie, walking in the sunshine.   

Did you do anything fun for St. Pat's?

 photo http---signatures.mylivesignature.com-54494-124-9BF74C716651145ECAC7EDD1AB729D6B_zpsxkuumtdq.png


Monday, March 20, 2017

Happy Spring!


Even tho the crocuses in my front lawn have already come & gone, I still see juncos (winter birds) at my bird feeder while robins bop across the back yard.  I'm pretty sure Mother Nature is either bi-polar or just a menopausal bitch. 

Here's my yard last Friday.  
Sunday morning sunrise at my sister's house. 

We had our annual 3 generation St. Pat's Girls Night Out this weekend, but that gets its own post!

 photo http---signatures.mylivesignature.com-54494-124-9BF74C716651145ECAC7EDD1AB729D6B_zpsxkuumtdq.png

#atozchallenge theme reveal!


Drumroll, please!

Actually, in my posts for this year's April A to Z Blogging Challenge will be a lot of drums.....and shredding guitars.....and hair.  A whole lotta hair!   

As in hair bands!  

I've chosen to showcase my favorite 80s & 90s hair band music. 

I was fortunate enough to grow up in the era of MTV - back when it was a new concept and actually played, you know, MUSIC, 24/7.  I was a sterotypical kid, who would rush home from school to turn on the TV and lose myself in music videos all afternoon. 

And as my husband can attest - I sang along to each and every one of these as I posted.  Funny how you can remember all the words to a song from 25 years ago, but forget what you just went into the kitchen for....

So expect a TON of Def Leppard, who has been my favorite band since my freshman year in high school; Cinderella, Motley Crue, Guns N' Roses, Van Halen.  
All the good stuff!  


Come along for the ride!
The train is leaving the station April 1.

 photo http---signatures.mylivesignature.com-54494-124-9BF74C716651145ECAC7EDD1AB729D6B_zpsxkuumtdq.png

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Dance Force 2017, round 1

Saturday was the 1st competition of Team DOS's season!

I call this post "round 1" because we'll be at Dance Force again in May.  We were originally planning on going to a different comp last weekend, but they cancelled due to not enough entries.  So the owner of the studio registered at DF at the very last minute.  The only thing is that they have rules against solos competing at 2 regional comps, so she had to find yet another comp to take the solos to. 

Dance Force this time was held just outside of Flint, which is about an hour away.  Half the team or so (us included) opted to stay at a hotel much closer to the venue.  Doors opened at 7am and the last awards were at 9:20pm.  There was no way I was going to drive home after that long of a day!
TeamDOS traditional pre-comp prayer circle

The videos for 4 of her 5 dances are up on YouTube if you want to watch them.  I grabbed some screenshots of my favorite parts.  Alas, my phone ran out of memory halfway thru tap, so it isn't on YouTube. 

Scoring consists of gold / high gold / platinum based on points and then an overall placing. 
The judges were really tough this time.  
We usually hear a lot of platinums during awards, but there were a whole lotta high golds this time and even some plain golds - those have been few & far between in the past.  
"Clue" - production
Platinum
So glad they changed that part ^^^ she was supposed to do a back walkover, then do a toe-touch jump off the table.  But they don't have time to lock the wheels on the table so it would roll a lot.  Plus she almost fell off way too many times. 
L to R -
Miss Green, Col.Mustard, the Butler, Miss Peacock, Miss White, Miss Plum & Miss Scarlet.
All those hairpieces were sewn into their hair so there was no chance of them coming off!
"Girl Power" - hiphop line
High Gold / 1st place overall
One of the other moms sat with some friends who belong to another studio.  She told us that they were appalled at this dance!  They said they'd never pay money for their kid to dress like this and definitely not to do a dance like this!  WTF?  Guess that's why their kid goes to a boring studio that only does modern / contemporary dance,
Beyonce is apparently too Thug-Life for them!
Anyhoo.  I think DOS is getting a well-deserved reputation of bringing out some kick-ass hiphop routines. 
She got thrown again. 
"Final Song" - Senior Small Group Jazz
Platinum / Division High Point in Jazz
(Angel's far right)
Far right again. 
This however, is *not* Angel!
"Where Feet May Fail" - Senior Small Group Lyrical
Platinum / Division High Point in Lyrical
(Angel's on the left)
3rd from the right, in front.
Angel with her flexed foot (eye roll)
"They Don't Really Care About Us" - Teen Small Group Tap
Platinum / Division High Point in Tap / 3rd place overall
(2nd from left)
I'm bummed that my phone cut off right as they were lining up to do a really cool hand-clapping segment.  I think for the next Dance Force, I'm going to take my regular camera to record.  There won't be any worries about running out of memory and hopefully will get a better video anyway.  I just won't be able to AirDrop the video to everyone.  And I'll make sure I chose my seat better.  More in the center of the auditorium, especially during production!

So now a small break before the next one!

 photo http---signatures.mylivesignature.com-54494-124-9BF74C716651145ECAC7EDD1AB729D6B_zpsxkuumtdq.png

Friday, March 10, 2017

Happy Friday - 3/10/17

1.  TeamDOS first dance competition of the season tomorrow!
(more excited than happy)
This is most likely Miss Angela's last year at Dancers Only Studio.  
It's been her second home for 10 years now!
2.  That Miss Angela is able to get her own costumes, accessories, etc together on her own so all I have to do is go home after work and load up the car.  Life is good!

3.  That the DOS family has learned that calm & harmony is maintained in the dressing room by moms pretty much ignoring their own kids.  Sounds weird, but the girls are less likely to snap at a non-parent and when they ask for help.  The younger girls learn quick, by watching the older ones, that they can grab any mom for help with putting on eyelashes or even showing off a new skill.  So much less stress when there's no arguments!

4.  Being able to afford said competitions and all that goes with it (OMG, the $$$!)

5.  Seeing the next wave of crocuses pop up in my yard.
The orange ones seem to pop up first, then the white and finally the purple. 

6.  This face

7.  Not being affected much by the wind earlier this week.  I have coworkers who still don't have power in their homes!   And that my huge old maples in the front yard only lost smallish branches.
Today's useless trivia - 74 mph is classified as category 1 hurricane winds.  We were getting 68 mph gusts across lower Michigan.

8.  Robins.  And while I have not seen any red-winged blackbirds, I've heard them!  
Both mean springtime around here.

9.  The Love Shaque Kitty Committee
Is it possible to be a crazy cat lady when you also have a husband & kid & dog?

10.  Speaking of the dog - he's dumb as a rock, but I still love him and most of the time he does make me happy.

Feel free to send good mojo to TeamDOS this weekend - it's also their first time doing a production!  A production is an extended routine with a set & props and different styles of dance.  Imagine the board game Clue put to dance!   This particular competition allows recording from the audience, so look for all the dances up on my YouTube channel late Saturday / early Sunday night.   OK, not all.  6 of them!


 photo http---signatures.mylivesignature.com-54494-124-9BF74C716651145ECAC7EDD1AB729D6B_zpsxkuumtdq.png