Just What I Needed

As you probably discovered by reading my last non-photo challenge post, things are a bit stressful in my household. Not only am I going back to work next week for a brand new school year, but I've been on the phone and emailing lawyers, realtors, and mortgage brokers. I've been to two inspections, waited for results on water and air tests (all good!) Filled out a heap of paper work and made a lists of "demands". Seriously, being a grown up is not fun sometimes.

Well after some convincing, and bargaining (hmmm...I'm having deja vu right now, must have written this before) I was able to convince my husband to let me take a private lesson with my dance teacher at her house. I just needed to think about something other than houses for an hour. I also wanted to make sure I ran my all my steps between camp and classes which start in less than two weeks. I'm so glad I did.

First of all, exercise makes you have euphoric, happy endorphins that improve your mood. Add the fact that I was doing what I love and I was ecstatic. Top that off with a really good lesson where I wasn't in any pain and my teacher gave me lots of compliments and I was practically crying tears of joy on the way home.

I'm going to side bar quickly and explain that I have been working my butt off for a while now to improve my health and fitness. When I hurt myself in the fall last year I started swimming laps with my husband a day or two a week. Once I went back to dance I continued to swim but I wasn't always making the best food choices. My mom got me Isagenix shakes for my birthday and at the time I felt pretty bad about myself but now I'm so happy she got them for me. I feel like it makes me feel more full so I eat less when I'm not drinking them and long story short, multiple people have said that I look good and thinner. I also attribute that to the fact that I went to CRC and my new dance teacher makes me run and do jumping jacks and work on my core. It's a really great feeling.

Anyway, my TC was working with me and she goes: "Have your legs gotten more toned?" and sure enough, I have some definition in my calf muscles! I'm so proud of myself because I admire the champ dancers that have killer leg muscles. I'm on the road to getting there!

I also got lots of comments on how well my overs are and that they improved since camp and I'll be honest I have been practicing but more so resting because I don't want to feel how I felt the last day of camp all the time. That is the one thing about class this year that I'm a bit apprehensive about. I just hope that I won't be in pain all the time. If my legs could just stay strong and healthy I'm going to be a fireball. Yesterday was proof that I can kick butt when I'm on form.

She still gave me plenty of things to work on and there's still plenty of time to get things polished and ready. I had a mental block with hornpipe but I attribute some of that to not having the proper room to practice it and I'm hoping it will be fine once class starts up again.

Finally, I'm getting a new set! No it's not Blackbird! My TC decided that St. Patrick's Day is in decent shape and that it's too ingrained from when I learned it from my old teacher to try to be nit-picking so we'll keep it for shows and things. She wants me to learn Jockey to the Fair for competitions (and hopefully Oireachtas next year!) and I'm excited. It's the same length as St. Pats, it has a lot of elements that are already in my treble jig and THERE ARE NO ROCKS! So excited to get back at it on August 31st!

This just proves that dance keeps me grounded and sane,

Kay