Spiders!

I am NOT a fan of spiders. There's something about those 8 wiggly legs that just give me the heebie jeebies. That being said, I'm not sure if I have bad karma coming at me, or if it's just some sort of Halloween prank the world is pulling on me at the moment, but for the past two mornings I have had unfortunate encounters with said creatures.

My desk at work is in the middle office. It is also the office that is host to the refrigerator, microwave, printer/copier, water cooler, and entrance to the bathroom. I get a lot of visitors all day long. Yesterday morning I sat at my desk and began my morning routine of checking emails, etc. when I noticed what appeared to be a dead spider inside one of the empty water cooler bottles to my right. This was not a small spider, even all crumpled up. I had a slight freak out moment thinking about how many other spiders of similar size might be dwelling in the office, but didn't feel threatened by the one that was trapped dead inside the water bottle. It was dead, right? When I pointed the thing out to one of my coworkers he decided to pick up the bottle to get a closer look. Bad idea. That thing was SO not dead! Another coworker, hearing my sudden freak out came to join the fun and teased me by trying to shove the bottle in my face. After threatening his life, coworker #1 saved the day by taking the bottle outside to empty the spider from inside and put an end to its life. My feet were kept crossed up on my chair for the remainder of the day.

This morning as I entered the bathroom in my apartment to shower I noticed a dark spot on the far wall. Even without contacts I could instantly tell this was unusual, and my "spidey senses" perked up (thankfully, this is only the 3rd or 4th spider I have ever seen in my apartment the entire 2+ years I've lived in it!). I walked back to my room, grabbed a shoe, and then put on my glasses to make sure I aimed right the first time. Goodbye, unwelcome guest!

Please, please, PLEASE say there won't be a spider waiting for me somewhere tomorrow!!

Spencer Buddy

I had another opportunity to travel to Colorado this year to visit my family; more specifically to see my younger brother Spencer before he ships out to Afghanistan in November with the ARMY. He is currently stationed in Kentucky, but had some leave time and made the trip to gather with as many family members as possible. We were sad that my older brother and his family couldn't join us, but we sure enjoyed the time we did have!

Paid Professional

I'm famous!!! Okay, not really, but yesterday I had the opportunity to do aerial acrobatics for a show on Telemundo called 12 Corazones. And was paid for it!

For those of you who don't watch Spanish daytime television, the show is a dating game show that focuses on the zodiac signs. It was fun to spend the afternoon and evening with several of my aerialist friends and instructors, and meet some new ones in the process. We were the contestants as well as the performers, so we were treated pretty well- they provided hair, makeup, and dinner afterward.

I can't wait to do more gigs!!

Quick Update

I just noticed I haven't posted a blog in nearly a month, but I'm still not super motivated to give a big thorough update. Here is a quick list of excuses of what's been keeping me busy/why I haven't had time to post anything:

-I visited Colorado to see my dog one last time before she got put to sleep
-I bought a new car and after fighting with the bank I finally received all the paperwork I need so I can go register at the DMV later this week
-My parents came to California for Labor Day weekend and we went to the L.A. County Fair, Sea World, and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park
-I got a new roommate
-Work has been unusually super-busy for September; I chalk it up to the mad skills of my coworker and I, and am glad that we have now hired on two more office employees to help with the overflow
-I had a friend and her sister come in to town for a weekend that was spent at the L.A. County Fair (2nd time I went), and at Disneyland
-I organized my bedroom closet
-I'm reading an incredibly addictive book right now and am loving that I am so in to it. I've missed my reading habit
-I'm training to be a birthday party instructor at one of my aerial studios and led my first party this last weekend
-I'm still training (taking classes) at the other aerial studio up to 3x/week
-I went to the L.A. County Fair a 3rd time - I'm almost as addicted as I was last year and am positive I'll go at least once more before it closes at the end of the month
-I think I gave myself mild heat stroke Saturday morning while working the boards (pedestal) at flying trapeze - it has been HOT here!
-I'm planning another trip to Colorado to see my younger brother before he ships out to Afghanistan with the ARMY in November
-I can't seem to find time to do laundry

Maybe I'll try to post pictures or something soon; I feel like my blog has been lacking in visual stimuli for quite some time. Hope this list will hold you over until then...

I Want to Quit

This has been a rough year. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be learning from it all, but I'm sure sick of it. Yes there's been positive things too, blah, blah, blah, but I'm just tired of the crap. If you have any extra positive energy in your universe will you send it my way? I promise I'll put it to good use.

I Danced

I love dancing. I didn't grow up in dance classes; in fact I didn't take a dance class until I was a sophomore in high school. Even with my lack of prior experience my teacher complimented my talent- which surprised me, but was very encouraging. When I was in college in Colorado I started taking classes at a local studio and even received the opportunity to attend a dance, acting, and singing workshop in New York after interviewing with a reputable talent scout that has worked with the likes of Reese Witherspoon and Johnathan Taylor Thomas.

After receiving my associates degree in Colorado I moved out of state to continue my education in Las Vegas, and unfortunately was unable to continue taking dance classes. I did however get the opportunity to dance in the Hill Cumorah Pageant for two consecutive summers, and received a great dance role each time; one year I was even the first dancer to be cast in a role. Just before finishing my bachelors degree I joined a Polynesian dance group that a few of my friends were in and was loving the different styles I was learning. Twice I competed in my church's version of SYTYCD and was on the winning team both years.

Again, I ended up moving out of state when I finished my degree- this time in pursuit of a job, and dancing fell by the wayside. I'm not sure what it is about California, but ever since living here I have been very shy about dancing. Church dances are awkward, clubs are scary and require no talent whatsoever, and once while attending a bridal shower/bachelorette party I gladly hugged the wall while the other attendees boogied their little hearts out. It feels like dancing is an embarrassing thing to do; most of the time I'm embarrassed just watching others dance.

The last few months have been challenging for me in several aspects of my life, and this last week was no exception with not being able to attend my aerial classes (they keep me sane!), and when my car died on the way to work on Thursday. Challenges aside I am attending the California YSA conference this weekend, and last night's opening activity was an 80's night complete with a dance. I arrived after making an appearance at a friend's wedding reception and walked around the building checking out the different activities with a stick of cotton candy in my hand.

Maybe it was the pent up energy from not exercising all week, or a need to release stress from all the craziness, but I soon found myself belting out a motown hit into a microphone in the karaoke room, and then - I danced. it wasn't even the weird, hesitant "is-someone-judging-me?" kind of dance, it was the full out, arms in the air, side ponytail doing the helicopter, "I-don't-care-if-anyone-else-is-in-the-room" kind of dance. It. was. awesome.

I danced.

Stats From Last Week

A few numbers from my week. They're not super exact, but pretty close.

46 hours at my FT time job
45.75 hours sleeping (8 hours a night equals 56 hours- I'm obviously falling short)
14 hours at Disneyland
13.5 hours in the car
10 hours working at aerial studio #1
6 hours training at aerial studio #2
3 hours at church

137.75 total hours accounted for.
There are 168 hours in the week, so there is 30.25 hours unaccounted for.

Things I did not account for:
Getting ready for work/getting ready for bed
Eating
Time spent watching TV/Olympics and a couple of movies
Reading

Sorry this post is kind of choppy; I'm feeling a little tired. I also find it amazing that 56 hours of sleep is supposed to fuel 112 hours of awake time. Maybe I should make sure I get all 56 hours this week...

Early Riser

I groaned when my alarm went off at 5:15 this morning. I can't remember the last time I got up that early. I hit snooze a couple of times (sorry roommate!) hoping that my grogginess would wear off, and trying to figure out why I had set my alarm for an hour where it's still mostly dark outside. I am much more accustomed to getting up around 7am.

Then it clicked. I had been asked to teach my first aerial class! I jumped out of bed, grabbed the clothes I was smart enough to lay out the night before, and headed to the shower. The only way I could fit teaching into my schedule was by showing up at work the same time I normally rolled out of bed.

The day went well! I unlocked the office door right at 7am and worked for 3.5 hours before I clocked out and headed to the studio. Class was fun- I got to teach tissu and hoop basics to about 20 elementary school aged kids over the course of three hours; thankfully they were split into two groups so I didn't have all of them at once.

Finishing out the remaining 4.5 hours at my office wasn't as hard as I'd thought it would be either. Maybe it helped knowing that in just 3 hours I had doubled my daily income!

Check Engine

Maybe this cable that's dragging on the ground is the reason for at least one of the three lights that turn on on my dashboard every time I drive...

Growth

Physical


Throughout the year and a half I've been been doing aerial acrobatics I've experienced periods of time where my strength and abilities steadily improve, and other periods of time where my abilities plateau for a while. I figured this was typical, and have really enjoyed the periods of growth. For the last two weeks I've noticed that I'm in another upswing! I have finally managed to do a move on hoop that I have struggled with for probably a year, and can do it consistently now (for my memory's sake - pop in to straddle back from under the hoop). I also figured out how to do a move on tissu where I am fighting gravity to roll up, and am getting more and more consistent with it (hip-key roll up). It's satisfying to know that my hard work is paying off!


Emotional/Personal


I have received compliments from a couple of close friends recently about how well I have handled the situation where a friendship of mine ended earlier this year. It was very abrupt and honestly I still don't understand what went wrong, but throughout the drama I tried my hardest to take the high road. It wasn't always easy, and I felt very alone throughout most of it because I was unwilling to put our mutual friends in the middle by talking about it to them. Even though my efforts to repair the friendship weren't successful and I am sad that this friendship is over, I have found/developed the emotional balance I needed to move forward.


Physical - Again


Remember the bump on my nose, and how I had it removed? It's starting to grow back. Sigh. Time to call the dermatologist and see if they do follow up procedures free of charge...

Sugar Addict

"I think I'll give up sugar for another month starting July 1st." --Thought as I was finishing off a giant bag of coconut m&m's...

I don't know what it's been lately, but my sugar cravings are out of control!! Don't worry, I haven't done much damage; I actually kept losing weight after I started eating sugar again earlier this year and am weighing in at a weight I haven't seen since high school. Still, this sugar thing needs to be better controlled!

So once again this year I'm taking a month long hiatus from sugar. Same rules apply as the last time. Why wait until July? It's easier to remember when I start the goal if it's on the 1st, I'm going on vacation next week, and will also be celebrating my birthday in a few days. But I am looking forward to July- I love the way I feel when I eat healthy.

The Years Fly By

Monday I had a little anniversary- I've been flying for one year! I can't believe how quickly time has passed! I look forward to many many more years in the air.

The Birthday Wishlist

I kind of miss the days where making a list of things I want was totally acceptable (i.e. Christmas Lists/Letters to Santa when I was a kid). At the risk of sounding selfish or what have you, I decided I wanted to make a wishlist for my birthday. Or whenever. No, I'm not asking or expecting you to get me anything at all for my birthday, it's mainly stuff I'd get for myself if I wasn't so dedicated to spending my money on my aerial acrobatics classes. =) 


So, in no particular order, I would like...


1. A massage at The Massage Garage
2. A car wash - inside and out!
3. My car's burnt out reverse light replaced
4. Gift cards to Target, JC Penny, H&M, Old Navy, etc. I really want new clothes. Especially since the majority of my pants are now too big for me.
5. Money/gift cards for Hollywood Aerial Arts so I can take even more classes; I'd love to add a 4th class to my weekly routine
6. Two area rugs - one for my living room and one for my bedroom
7. My beautiful red couch picked up from my cousin's house in Las Vegas and delivered to my apartment!
8. Curtains/Blinds in both bedrooms, in the dining room, and in front of the sliding door to the porch. I actually refuse to put money into this - I think it's something my landlady should do.
9. Dinner at The Melting Pot. I have never eaten there and always wanted to.
10. DVDs- I need some new movies on my shelf
11. iTunes gift cards
12. A queen sized bed with a new bed set and sheets
13. A shopping spree at Sephora
14. Jewelry. Mainly small earrings - I hate going without earrings and can't wear big ones while flying through the air
15. A pedicure
16. Magnetic nail polish in a variety of colors
17. A foam roller
18. A car charger for my iPhone
19. My own aerial tissu, lyra, and a place to rig them
20. A new bike - preferably a beach cruiser with a medium/large wire basket on the front

A Little Bit Of Me You Didn't Need To Know

I have been wanting to write a new blog post for a couple of weeks but have been debating over topics. While I still haven't decided which of those topics is going to be the first to beat out the others, I was recently tagged in my friend Shelli's blog post of random questions (at least, I'm assuming I am the only Melissa she was tagging), so I have a simple way of pacifying my blogging needs for the moment. I'm supposed to post rules before I answer the questions and then tag other people with a set of my own questions afterward, but we'll see how ambitious I'm feeling by the end of this...


1. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I love traveling. I want to go practically everywhere, but the top of my list is currently the Mediterranean. I'd love to see Greece, Morocco, Egypt, and Spain. And maybe a few of the other countries in between.


2. What one in-vogue style would you get rid of, if you could?
Wearing belts over top of a sweater. I think it's hideous. Or the thick framed glasses with false lenses. Stupid.


3. What song describes your love life at the moment?
Dancing On My Own by Robyn. Haha.


4. How many books (physical copies) do you own?
I have no idea. I have about 50 on the shelves in my bedroom, probably 10-15 more on the shelf in the living room, and a couple of boxes in storage at my parent's house in Colorado. Lately I've been checking out books from the library to fuel my reading habit, rather than spending the money to purchase more.


5. How old were you when you had your first kiss?
I think this question has two answers. If you count the incredibly innocent peck - I was 10; first make out - I was 18.


6. Peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese?
Grilled cheese! The cheesier the better.


7. What do you daydream about?
Joining the circus. Starting my own business. Having enough money to never have to work again. Traveling. Eating good food. Having a personal masseuse. Meeting Cher.


8. Within your dating life, what's one dating faux pas you made?
I once asked a guy if I was a good kisser. I think that's frowned upon.


9. Is there a place that you go to quite often, but seem to get lost getting there every time?
It took me a while to remember where exactly the library I go to is. I knew the main street, but could never remember the cross streets and would end up driving more than I needed to. I'm better at it now though.


10. Where was your first job?
I know I worked for a temp agency for a few years doing office work in places like American Family Insurance and a Universalist Unitarian church... but I'm not 100% sure that was my first real job.


11. Who was your out-of-your-league, not-going-to-happen, crush? 
What's my time frame on this question? I feel like there have been several. It's usually someone I know rather than aa celebrity crush - I think those are mostly a waste of time.


Well, there goes my ambition. I don't feel like writing 11 more questions for someone else to answer. Instead, I'm off to bed to rest my body and dream about flying trapeze in the morning. I love Saturdays!

Skinny Me

Well I did it! I made it all the way through March without cheating on my no candy/desserts/soda goal! I'm not going to say it was really hard, but it wasn't easy either - sometimes I would forget about my goal, and once I was even in line to buy a bottle of soda at the movie theater before I remembered and turned around to put it back in the fridge.

About two weeks ago people started commenting that I was looking skinny. At first I thought it was because I had picked a good outfit, or they were just being nice, but the compliments kept coming in unexpectedly. Even today the accountant who comes to our office once a week said "Gosh Melissa, you are just looking so skinny!" I thanked her and told her about my recently completed goal.

It turns out I did benefit from the goal - I lost at least 4lbs! I know 4lbs doesn't seem like much, but it was a nice surprise. I had been holding constant at the same weight for a while and had not been below that weight since....well, I'm not really sure, but I think it was before I left for South America (which was in May '06). Better yet, I am now 13lbs lighter than the heaviest I ever weighed!

I really think my skinnier appearance is due to more than just avoiding sugar. Doing aerial acrobatics has helped me tone up a lot, but I hadn't really lost weight due to the muscle I was gaining. My jeans were already feeling too big on me before abstaining from desserts for a month, but now I for sure can't wear them without using a belt, and even my smallest belt is too big for me.I'm thinking I may have to reward myself with some new clothes this month!

Everything Breaks In March

I've had a case of bad luck this month so far... hopefully it was just leading up to the "Ides of March" and is now over with! Things that have broken:

1. The heater in our apartment. I really think the pilot light went out, but I have no idea how to light it myself, and honestly, I'm afraid of blowing something up, so I contacted our apartment manager (who is the daughter of the owner). She's always had her cousins or someone else she knows do all the repairs around here, so contacting her was my obvious solution to the problem. Except this time she didn't help me. She told me to call the gas company because they can light pilot lights for free. I called them a week ago, and still have to wait another week for the first available appointment time they had. My apartment is FREEZING!!
2. My phone (Blackberry). It refused to fully boot up after installing an update for an app. Every time I tried to turn it on it would try to boot up, but click off and try again. And again. And again. Instead of getting a new Blackberry or HTC Evo through my company's plan (which I had been on for nearly a year), I decided to branch out on my own and get an iPhone. It's pretty. But I don't have all my numbers imported, so if you text me and I don't know who you are, don't be offended.
3. My right front tire. Went flat while driving to a friend's house after dinner on Wednesday evening. No big deal - I pulled over and replaced my tire with my full sized spare in my trunk. Did it all by myself and was back in the driver's seat only 14 minutes later!
4. My left front tire. Yep. Happened only hours after the right front tire went flat, but this one decided to go out with flare by blowing out while I was going 70mph on the highway on my way home from my friend's house. I ended up having friends rescue me with their AAA membership and was towed to the parking lot of a tire place where I had to leave my car overnight and return this morning when they opened. I now have one new tire and am still driving on my spare until the shop can get a second tire in from their warehouse.

I REALLY hope that's the last of it... I can't even eat junk food to make myself feel better. =)

Catcher's Trapeze Reel

Most often when I go to trapeze I work with the same catcher. His name is Matt. Over the past couple of months he has had people film him catching, and he put together this reel. I make three appearances: I'm the first flier on video, and then show up again at minute 2:22, and 2:41. Well, to be completely honest I'm in the video more than those three times, but those are the only times where I am doing the flying; the other times I'm standing up on the board (the place where we take off). Enjoy!

And So It Begins

Several weeks ago I became aware of how much sugar in the form of candy and desserts I was putting into my body. I have a serious sweet tooth!! While I have been subconsciously justifying my sugar consumption because of the frequency in which I exercise (three times a week minimum - thanks to my aerial acrobatics addiction) I decided it was time to put a stop to it, and see just how much better, healthier, and stronger I felt without it. Today is March 1st - the first day of my one-month aversion to candy and desserts. I'm not eliminating ALL sugar - I realize there is natural sugar in fruit, and I like to use juice cocktails in my home-made smoothies; stuff like that can stay. What doesn't stay is the chocolate, cookies, cakes, etc, etc. that I usually go hunting for after dinner. This means:

• No indulging in the Easter candy that is ALREADY in every grocery store (even though the holiday isn't until April 8th!!).
• No partaking in the oh-so-common Mormon "dessert parties" where there's nothing to do but talk and eat junk food (the talking is okay, clearly).
• NO GIRL SCOUT COOKIES!! I am sad about this one. I ordered 4 boxes of cookies that haven't come in yet - they will have to find a corner of my freezer to sit in until April. Sigh...
• No soda. This wasn't a part of my original plan (because I really don't drink soda all that often) but as I was sipping a coke during lunch today I realized that I could easily fall back into that bad habit as a substitute.

So there it is. Dessert/candy/soda free for a month. I got this.

Are You Speaking My Language?

(I have been thinking about the topic of this post for a while now; I honestly didn't plan this as a Valentine's post. I should also explain that I have been thinking about love languages in regards to relationships other than romantic relationships- this post should be read as such.)

I have never read the book The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman, but of course I have heard people talking about the different languages and had a pretty good idea of which language was my language based on the way I saw myself reacting in different social situations. I had an experience recently where I was beginning to feel hurt/neglected by a close friend and had to remind myself to take a step back and realize that this friend was not out to hurt me, but more than likely I was feeling this way because we speak different languages.

Wanting to learn a little more about the way I express and recognize love, I looked up the 5 Love Languages quiz here. The beginning of the quiz explains that you will get a "thorough analysis of your emotional communication preference. It will single out your primary love language, what it means, and how you can use it to connect with those closest to you and effectively enhance the relationships in your life." After taking the quiz I think there is a slight flaw - I think that the results show how I recognize or feel that I receive love, but don't necessarily reflect how I try to show love to others.

My results showed that I actually have TWO languages that tie for the number one spot: Quality Time, and Physical Touch (I scored 9 out of 12 on each).

Quality time confirmed what I had already figured out on my own: when I feel like people don't have time for me, I feel unloved. Simple as that. In this case I think quality time is important to me on both the receiving and giving side of relationships. When I care about someone I try to spend time with them, which is probably why part of the description struck a chord with me by saying "distractions, postponed dates [plans], or the failure to listen can be especially hurtful."

I was kind of surprised that I scored just as high in the Physical Touch category, but after I read though the description I realized that it was more accurate for me as the receiver of physical affection, rather than as the giver. I don't consider myself an incredibly touchy person, but when a friend offers me a hug, plays with my hair, touches my arm to get my attention or more recently, when a friend put her hand on my back to check up on me while at a party (and subsequently let me crash on her couch because I was too wiped out to drive home), I find that that physical touch means a lot to me!

I scored quite a bit lower on the remaining three love languages, yet the quiz suggests that we should "not dismiss those other languages as insignificant." I scored 5 out of 12 on Words of Affirmation, 4 out of 12 for Receiving Gifts, and 3 out of 12 on Acts of Service.

I know I like words of affirmation when I feel they are honest and unsolicited from the giver, but think I'm pretty poor at giving words of affirmation to others. There have been times I have found myself holding back a compliment for no reason at all.

Receiving gifts can be fun now and then but too many make me feel indebted to the giver. However I love finding the perfect gift for someone - something that shows that I have paid attention to things they like or need, but it's not something I do on a regular basis.

Receiving acts of service typically makes me feel uncomfortable - especially if I think someone may be offering to help me because they think I am incapable of accomplishing a task on my own. This is completely my perception as the recipient only; I'm sure people offer acts of service just to be nice, or because it's their love language...because on the flip side it is one of my languages as the giver! I like serving other people when I care about them! If you're sick and need someone to force fluids down your throat, need a last minute babysitter, need a ride to the airport, whatever - I'm there. Perhaps it's because in many instances of service I am able to spend quality time with the friends I'm serving.

Overall I think the quiz was pretty accurate in defining the way I interpret (receive) love. It was also good for me to re-realize that even though I may sometimes think friends aren't doing the best job of making me feel loved, it doesn't mean that they aren't trying hard to express their love for me through another language!

The Velveeta Follow Up

I had a dream last night (after my experience with the Velveeta mac and cheese)...

I was eating what appeared to be ice cream or yogurt, but it was not normal. It was too thick, and make my mouth stick closed. By the end of my dream I was using my fingers to unsuccessfully try and scrape the crud out of my mouth. When I woke up I felt incredibly nauseous and couldn't shake the feeling until sometime after lunch.

I believe I have learned my lesson!!

Velveeta - One VERY Good Reason Not to Shop When You're Hungry

The box says "Reduced fat pasteurized prepared cheese product." I think it should be changed to say "Edible glue."

When I was a nanny one summer in high school I was taught how to make macaroni and cheese for the kids I watched using Velveeta. I remember liking it and convincing my mother to buy the stuff once so I could make it for the family. She was not impressed with the results.

Many many moons have passed since I had last eaten Velveeta, and I had nearly forgotten of its existence when I spied it in the grocery store last week. I was on my way home from work and decided it would be most convenient if I did my grocery shopping before I had eaten dinner. This shopping-while-hungry thing typically results in a few impulse buys in addition to my needed grocery items; on this particular outing my impulse buy was the 2lb brick of Velveeta.

Never again.

Tonight I cooked up a batch of macaroni and cheese and dished up a large bowl to enjoy. The first spoonful told me I had made a poor choice (as if the box hadn't already warned me - what other food product can you keep refrigerated for up to 8 weeks after opening??). The "cheese" stuck to my lips and was so thick it couldn't even be licked off of my spoon. Each bite I took was harder and harder to get through, especially since it thickens as it cools. It was also starting to make me super thirsty. I only made it about a third of the way through my dinner before my body made it clear that if I tried to eat any more I would be re-acquainted with everything I had already put down.

I hate wasting food - or in this case "food." Bad news is that I still have more than half of the brick left, and no desire to use it. Takers??