sick = no fun

I really, really, really don't like being sick. =( I started coming down with flu-like symptoms Thursday afternoon and they lasted until this morning. While I am feeling better physically (I actually ate my first meal today since Thursday lunch - have only eaten "snacks" up until now), I am only feeling about 80% energy wise. I guess that's one of the things that happens going into a new classroom; new kids = new germs. I actually opted out of choir rehearsal on Thursday night (that's how lousy I felt) but went to work on Friday. Looking back, going to work on Friday is possibly why I'm not feeling 100% yet. I probably should have just stayed at home and rested (considering I have about 2 weeks worth of sick hours saved up). Oh, well. I can't go back and change things now.

If nothing else, I knew that I needed to feel better for yesterday - we had our two belly dance performances yesterday. During the first performance, we started off (with me being the first dancer on the stage!!) with mini "solos" and then went into a really fast spin for a really long time - - let me say, that is a really bad idea for someone who is fighting nausea. After beginning the spin, I had to stop before I was "supposed" to stop spinning and let my world right itself. I have done this spin many times before and have never been this dizzy completing it. Like I said, I guess spinning and nausea are not a good combination. After this initial set back, I had a couple of "oops" moments in the choreography but I continued to perform with a smile on my face and that is what's most important.

After this performance, I came home and showered to wipe off all of the glitter and make up. After that, I thought it would probably be a good idea to take a nap for a few hours before the second performance - the CASBAH (our last Casbah, or night club performance at the studio, was back at the beginning of April where I performed my first belly dance solo). It was actually ironically fitting to have my second Casbah this week since one year ago I was introduced to my love of belly dance. =)

At this Casbah, a group of three of us (me being "elected" to lead the other two ladies) chose to perform one of our troupe choreography pieces with slight variations. Our instructor loved that we took it upon ourselves to "improve" the choreography and said that she plans on adapting her choreography to match what we did! =)

After the trio of us performed, I had the space of two soloists to change my costume and prepare for my own solo. I was debuting a new solo piece and feel like I did pretty well considering I was nervous (the studio was PACKED and some of my co-workers came specifically to see me dance) and about half-way through the five minute piece I got really hot and considered for a spit second just walking off of the stage before the song was over (I think the feeling of being too warm came from a combination of the lights/number of people in the studio and being sick). But, I made it through my piece (I have some work to do on it in my opinion) and tried to smile through the entire piece.

When I was done performing, I got a really neat compliment from one of the best belly dancers I have seen perform (she is the one who coordinated the show at the coffee house that I have danced at before). She told me that she finds my dancing "absolutely mesmerizing" and that she finds it very difficult to believe that I've been dancing for only a year. YAY! =)

I also had some complete strangers tell me that I am a beautiful dancer and that I move like I'm from the Middle East. Those compliments make me want to work even harder to become a better dancer.

Well, since I have another busy week ahead and am still not 100% myself, I should probably relax some tonight and head to bed early or at least on time tonight. =)

(Side note: car stuff is taken care of; passed my "smog check" and paid registration. Of course, when it was at the shop, they told me all of the other stuff that my car needs, but I will either need to save my pennies or win the lottery to take care of that list......)

More grown-up "fun"...........

Just when I was starting to get into the routine of my "normal" life, of course something comes up to throw a monkey wrench into things....

My car has decided to turn on it's check engine light again so I am trying to find time to take it into the shop to have it looked at. In all of the time I was with my wasband, I don't think the check engine light went off in our cars ever. Now that I am single, my check engine light has turned on I don't know how many times. It's rather annoying. But I've done what I can at this point, I sent an e-mail service request and if I don't hear from the service department tomorrow, I will give them a call on my lunch to make an appointment.

It just feels like it's one thing after another at times and I know that's life and all but..... No, Dad, it's not fun at times to be a grown-up. =( Then again, I tell myself if I had to grow up again, I would have to go back to middle school and high school and I'd really rather not.

Maybe part of my gray mood is the weather the last few days. Up until this past Friday, it has been warm and sunny; Friday hit and the weather has been chilly and overcast. Then today, it has rained on and off all day. It's just one of those days where I would have preferred to stay cuddled up in bed all day but unfortunately there is always too much to do. I did take about an hour nap this afternoon and that helped but I could have used a longer nap. =)

I could have used the longer nap in preparation for the upcoming week. I am moving into a new classroom this week. I am leaving the land of two-year olds and diapers and headed back into a preschool classroom. While I am excited to go back into preschool, I have already met some resistance from the kids and the parents of the class I'm going into. Oh, well. All I can do is go in and be the best teacher that I know how to be. And at the end of the day, that's all that I can really do (and all that I can expect of myself, even though I can be my own worst critic).

Also causing me a bit of stress is two upcoming belly dance performances on one day. This upcoming Saturday afternoon we are performing four numbers in a nearby town and then that same evening we are having another Casbah (where we turn the studio into a nightclub - - the last time we did this, I performed my first ever belly dance solo). I am working on a new piece and I am hoping that I will have the dance ready for this performance.

Well, since I have to deal with my car issues this week as well as head into a new classroom AND work on a new belly dance solo, I should probably bring this to a close for tonight and focus on the insanity of the week ahead. =)