Some Stories

So as you may or may not have noticed, I've been off the air...again...it's been a bit crazy around here!

On a super fun note...less than FOUR MONTHS till my wedding!!  Planning is in full swing and we've actually been insanely productive lately on that front!  Our engagement photos also came in - an absolutely brilliant set of pictures thanks to Jenn and Ben of the Buffalo-based Ayres Photography!  Here's one of our favorites:

Then the next part of life: dance!  At the beginning of every spring semester, the university's dance company comes back to school a week early to rehearse for our concert in February.  This year, the trip to Buffalo was preceded by a gorgeous weekend in NYC for a company audition!
I took the train up to the city the day before - with temperatures in the 50s! - met up with Jon, and spent a lovely afternoon and evening together doing things like catching a Parsons Dance APAP showing at Ailey (brilliant...every member of the company is incredible) and...buying new ballet shoes because...I forgot mine at home before the audition...yep.

The next day, I was up bright and early to get put together and warmed up for my audition.  I went to the studios, prepared for slippery floor conditions thanks to my Parsons friends, met up with a bunch of friends from my school, and next thing I knew, I was dancing for the director and rehearsal director of the company!

And summarily getting cut.

First professional rejection: CHECK.

But I feel like I danced well, so I didn't feel bad about getting cut.  In fact, I laughed about it, went and got doughnuts at The Doughnut Plant at Chelsea Hotel - a must visit for foodies in NYC: the doughnuts were so.good... - and drove home to Buffalo with the love of my life, ready to get back into the swing of all things dance.

I spent the next week sweaty, bruised, and sore beyond belief from rehearsing three different pieces for about 10 hours a day.  Just when I thought I was on my way to recovery, a choreographer would throw a new combination at us, and by the time we finished polishing that phrase I was right back where I started!

If I ever hear anyone say that dance is for sissies again, I might punch them.  After learning proper boxing technique so I don't hurt myself.

But overall, the week was fantastic!  I had a great time, successfully tested my snow tires in a blizzard, lost about three pounds, gained two of them back at a progressive dinner party (for which I made a double recipe of Hot Fudge Pudding Cake - it's a crowd pleaser!) and got some of the best sleep of my life thanks to exhaustion.

Then came MLK Day.

It's the only three-day weekend of spring semester.  I haven't had that day off in three years thanks to rehearsals, and this year was no different.

Except that it was.

Because this happened:

That, dear friends, is what happens when a school bus backs up onto the hood of your car while you're sitting on a campus road on your way to rehearsal with absolutely no idea that the bus full of children is going to suddenly back up after it has already opened its doors and you can't back up because there's an SUV behind you and you're so panicked that you forget you have a lovely contraption called a car horn that is meant for these exact times until you're watching your hood crumple while you curse, pray, and cry your eyes out in terror.

So that was my holiday!

Please, do not follow my example and get crushed by a yellow school bus.  It wasn't fun.
A little bit funny now...but not fun.

You are now caught up on my life, whether you wanted to be or not!
Coming up next: my first gluten-free baking adventure!