2 days, 7 hours, 30 minutes!

Until Miss Angela & I get on a plane heading for Charleston!  Starting to get excited!  We get there fairly early Sunday, so we'll get the car and head to Myrtle Beach for a bit - Angel wants to go just to say we've been there.  A beach is a beach to me.  Then Monday I'll dump her off with a teammate or 7 and wander off on my own to explore the lovely Magnolia Cemetery.  I'm looking forward to that!  Then Tuesday the competition begins.  I'm just hoping no hurricanes or tropical storms decide to visit while we're there!

This week has been insane!  I haven't been stressed about the trip and such, it's been work.  I'm trying to get all caught up and then plan ahead for while I'm and it's been crazy.  Then dealing with insane customers and the boss is out of town, etc. etc.  I've stayed late every day this week so far, so I made sure to email the boss to ensure overtime was approved.  I didn't mention the stuff I brought home to work on 2 nights. 

Last night I was there 2 extra hours and I was just beat.  Not sure how I even made it home!  Then I had to take a couple t-shirts to the studio on the opposite side of town to drop off to be printed.  Taco Bell / Tim Horton's for dinner brought me back to life. 

And I hate that I was so tired & ready for bed at 9:30, that I couldn't fall asleep.  And then kept waking up.  That's been happening way too much lately.  And it wasn't from Daisy finding her new toy on the kitchen table and bringing it onto the bed to play with it. 

OK, so now that I'm done whining....  the recital was wonderful, as usual.  I barely got my new camera home before having to leave for dress rehearsal, so I didn't figure out how to speed up the shutter.  I even put it on the "party" setting and couldn't get any good clear shots.  Guess I need to break down and read the manual!  I got some decent ones on my phone, but then I quit trying.   I didn't even take any at the recital, or even check in on FB!  And I forgot Angel's recital teddy bear at home.  I forgot to get her real flowers.  I totally dropped the ball.  I just sat back and enjoyed the moment!

Ballet ending pose. 

The epitome of graceful ballerina with excellent posture. 

Miss Desiree there is wearing the official recital t-shirt.  The front has boxing gloves and says Dancers Against Cancer and the back says Dance like a Beauty, Fight like a Beast.  They're teal in honor of one of the little girl's mom who is fighting ovarian cancer, and they raised money to donate to the Mayo Clinic. 

 Tap

Mid Kickline for All Stars

So I haven't begun to pack, but I have a handy-dandy notebook full of lists of things to do & to pack.  Tuesday, Angel & I went to the nail salon where I got a pedicure (and sugar scrub and hot stone massage!) and she got french tips on her fingers and we both had some much needed attention paid to our eyebrows.  The little Korean woman in there was so entertained that she came with her mom!  Most girls go in there with their friends, like she has several times. 

Studio purple!

I was surprised at the costume pieces I was able to wash.  I have her entire hiphop costume (the shirt was in the wash when I took this), jazz, her solo, All Stars, and all of tap except for the pleather vest, but even that said it was machine washable!  And I'm sure the neighbors were happy that I didn't hang her jazz line or duet costumes outside in the sun (they're the sequined ones). 

I also aired her duffle bag out so we can use it as her carry on.  Those costumes will NOT be checked!!!

Oh yeah - the shirts I took to the studio.... the owner of the studio sent out a text telling everyone that the original founder of the Applause National Talent passed away a few years ago of breast cancer, so it's now a tradition that on Saturday during Nationals, everyone wears pink and gets to go on stage for a group picture!  So we took our bright pink shirts to the studio where Terina made a deal with her printer to have the Detroit D put on the front and the studio name on the back.

I really hope at this one, they put the locations of the studios in the programs and not just their names. It's fun to see where all these studios come from!   I mean, come on!  It's Nationals - you know some of these teams have traveled some miles!

Poor Randy - how will he survive being home alone?  He'll have to take care of animals, water my flowers outside, fend for his own meals, etc, etc, etc, sigh!  He managed when he was single, guess he can survive a week or so again. 

Yawn!  I think I'm feeling sleepy, maybe I'll be able to sleep tonight!  A big load was taken off my shoulders today when I talked to the girl who does surgical scheduling for my gyn and my procedure is going to be done July 11!!  That's mine & Randy's anniversary weekend and he was supposed to be making plans for a 4 day weekend, but it'll just be cut down to 3!  I'll have to be at the hospital at 0630 Monday morning.  Its such a scary thing, because surgery, but one that I'm so happy to be having!

I don't know if I'll get to post again before we leave, but I'll be on Instagram & Snapchat & FB, etc.  

Must figure out the camera!