Recently in dancing Category

Is it OK to spend $60 on your dinner if the ballet you are going to was free? I think yes. It all balances out...

Em and I met up after work at One North. Her friend works there so we got a couple of special deals :)

We started out with a Duck Confit Fettuccini with black truffles and vanilla-honey butter (thanks to a free coupon...) and then split between us a Grilled Venison Flank with Caraway potato fritters, tricolore, and apricot-mustard sauce and the Crab Souffle Cakes with Hericots vert and citrus-mint salsa. Oh, I also had a sufficiently girly pom peche martini. Yum. After that we split a chocolate hazelnut torte because it was the only chocolate thing on the dessert menu. And I had a nice free cappuccino :)

After 2 hours of eating and conversing we headed back across the street to the opera house. American Ballet Theatre is in town, and with it came comped tickets to Sleeping Beauty. I was so excited for the ballet! Disney's Sleeping Beauty has always been one of my favorite movies, and it's definitely one of my fav fairy tales.

The ballet was BEAUTIFUL, but the last act could have been much shorter. I mean, once the prince comes and kisses his princess the story is OVER...you don't need another half hour scene of a party. And why was little red riding hood at your party?

1. Only a couple hours after his death, I recieved this:

It's good to know the dead have their priorities straight.

2. I'm back to wanting to call you every night. I restrain.

3. I forgot the term "Sauté." It still doesn't sound right.

1. What I ate at the Taste today (lunch + dinner)

Row 1: Toasted Ravioli (Tuscany), Crawfish Boil with with Potatoes and Illinois Corn (Lagniappe)
Row 2: Catfish Nuggets (Dock's), Fried Dough with Strawberry Topping and Whipped Cream (Volare)
Row 3: Frozen S'more (Bobtail Ice Cream Company), Grilled Chicken and Vegatable Chopped Salad with Lime Dressing (The Grill on the Alley)
Row 4: Puerto Rican Steak Sandwich on Criollo Bread (Sabor Latino) and Pepsi (Beverage Booth), BBQ Buffalo Burger (Grazie! Ristorante), Saganaki (Costa's)

2. I am a rockstar of Hungarian Folk Dance
I went to a Hungarian folk dance lesson tonight. It was insanely fun but also insanely tiring. Those Hungarians sure know how to party. :)

3. Three anticdotes from the Taste today
a.) In Paris at Notre Dame I was kind of making fun of the people who were taking their pictures while facing the monument they were in from of (so they had a random background and not the monument). Today I saw someone having their picture taken while facing Buckingham Fountain.
b.) Have you ever played catch with a dog? While doing so did you ever, after throwing the ball a couple of times, pretend to throw it and the dog kind of went after it? Did you know that same thing works using a piece of bread and a flock of seagulls? Did you also know that that's the most hilareous thing you can ever do?
c.) I saw a homeless man eating a variety platter of cheese cake.

1. skipped work.

2. raspberry lemon bars.

3. lunch with MattyK
I made sure to keep him off the topic of work, except when it came to making him promise to take me to vienna if he gets to go. He doesn't think his hair is as funny as I do. A knife is just as good as $50. Cutting chips with said knife is a bad idea, but I kind of already knew that.

4. victorias secret semi-annual sale.
I guess I shouldn't think of it as blowing $200, I should think of it as saving $150...right? Really though, it's the only time of the year I stock up on underwear. I won't share everything, but here is a pictoral of everything that has a butterfly on it :)

See that little black and pink lacy thing peaking out of the top?? Yeah, it's a kind of hot slip/nighty thing. Want to see more of it??? Come on boys, I know you do ;-)

5. Jazz with the Joffrey
Ravinia Festival really has to work on the signage to get to their parking...because I most definitely was right there but then got lost for an hour. Good thing I was hella early. So after totally missing the exit to the free park and ride I finally found a lot and was bussed over to the site. For those of you who don't know what Ravinia is, which apparently is all of my friends, it's a big outdoor stage complex that shows classical concerts and such throughout the summer. The actual tickets to the shows cost $50 or something, but lawn tix are $10. And the lawn, while you can't actually see the stage, is kind of awesome because you can bring wine and picnic while listening to the concert. It's really quite a site because it's a big lawn full of people with their little citronellas glowing.
Nad and I went to go see Jazz with the Joffrey which was live jazz with the Ramsey Lewis Trio with the Joffrey Ballet performing. Well, we think the Joffrey was performing, but we couldn't really see (although I did manage to scope out the one spot in the place where we could kind of see a corner of the stage, and were able to see a couple of dance moves). It was awesome though. And we had a good night of picnicing (pasta salad, carrot soup, lemon bars, cheese, jam, tomatoes, and whole wheat pitas...oh and wine).
I also discovered that all it really takes for me to be attracted to a guy is a really awesome camera.
I also discovered that I can find my way home from Highland Park without needing a map (because sometimes Gogole Maps lies).

So, remember last week when I said that everyone I know named Jen was has either gotten engaged or has/is getting married this year? Well, yeah, I forgot one...so, of course...

Congratulations Josh and Jennifer!

Now, officially, all FIVE of the Jens I know either have gotten engaged or married in the past year. Maybe I should change my name...

* * *

I am a horrible person because...
today at Cosi I ordered a $9 lobster salad sandwich and then told the counter lady it was a $6 tuna salad sandwich.

I am a crazy person because...
I am holding out on renewing my cell phone contract because I am waiting for this

Pink Krzr, currently available in the UK, to come to America. I very well might switch phone companies if another company has it and Verizon does not.

I am an awesome person because...
I went to SummerDance tonight and learned Brazillian Dance. Did you know Brazillian dance is the most boring easiest dance in the world? I'll show it to you some time. I'm still awesome though.

I am a tired person because...
It's one in the morning and I am baking lemon bars. I already had to go to Jewel an hour ago because I was out of flour. I also made some carrot soup, but I will finish that in the morning. I am so proud of myself, I sliced up a whole onion for the soup and didn't cry. Then I ruined the proud of me moment by packing a food processor so tight with flour, powdered sugar, and butter, that the blade did nothing. I think we can officially take "Baker" out of the running.

1. SummerDance
Tonight I went to SummerDance at Grant Park. It's totally awesome. An hour of dance lessons followed by 2 hours of a live swing back, all outdoors. Can't beat it. Tonight was East COast Swing and the Thomas Gunther Jazz Band. Sweetsweetsweet. Of course, I had to go all by myself because no one would go with me :(
I've determined that there are guys who have no clue what they're doing, guys who think they know what they're doing, guys who know how to dance but can't lead, and maybe one or two guys in the world who can actually dance AND lead. 'm not saying the others aren't fun, but to really be able to dance, you have to be able to lead te girl. Most guys just don't understand that.
Anyways, while doing the class I danced for a bit with a guy I shal forever refer to as adoraboy because he was quite possibly the most genuinly cutest boy I've ever seen. Unfortuantly, he was there with a girl and I never saw him after that. I did dance with a few boys and a few old men, and a few people who need to invest in some serious deodarant. Most of the people really didn't know how to dance, or couldn't keep rhythem, or made me dizzy sick by just going around in circles...but it 'twas fun none the less. The band played one salsa number, and this guy asked me to dance. I said I didn't know much salsa and he said he didn't either, then he proceeded to do some weird not-quite salsa/swing/lindy/mambo/foxtrot that involved everything and nothing. I just went with it though. Dancings supposed to be fun, not technical.
THere was probably only one guy who knew how to dance and lead very well. And there was this other guy who I danced with last who I just totally let loose and we were fucking awesome.
Too bad most of these guys were like 50 or something.
Can't wait 'till the next one I can go to!
Anyone up for salsa on the 28th??? or Transylvanian folk on July 5? (seriously, that's on the roster!)

2. So You Think You Can Dance
I've been watching this show and it's probably one of the best of reality that's on right now. This dance was fucking amazing and makes me want to be a dancer and therefore makes me cry:

I had a teacher once tell me that Swan Lake was the most boring ballet to be in because if you were a swan, all you'd do would be stand there and pose. Well, I think Romeo and Juliet would be the most difficult because basically you have to learn to dance while you are dead.

American Ballet Theatre is in town and playing Romeo and Juliet at the Civic. They were kind enough to give Lyric staff free tix to the show. So tonight I took Heather and her friend Patrick and it was amazing! Our Juliet was Julie Kent but our Romeo was not Ethan Stiefel :( It was a beautiful production and they really make it look so effortless. :( I wish I was a ballerina.

On another note...It is NOT ACCEPTABLE to leave a theatre before the bows are done and the lights come up. NO EXCEPTIONS. Seriously, I think its the rudest thing in the world to hop up and run out before the bows just because you want to beat the traffic out.

I think the second rudest thing in the world is when a single person decides to take up 4 seats on the train. You bought one ticket, which entitles you to one seat. It is acceptible to sit down in a 2 seat. But then if the train is crowded, you have to let someone sit next to you. It is not acceptable to sit in a 2 seat and take the aisle seat so no one can sit next to you. It is even more not acceptable to put the seat in front of you backwards, taking up 4 whole seats, so you can put your backpack on across from you and be selfish.

OK, end rant.

On the way home I got a hot fudge sundae and then the conductor had a British accent and said that student ids weren't taken after 10 because hs students should be in bed by then and then I ran into Paul who I haven't seen in forever. And by forever I mean forever. I now I am watching ANTM on tape and they have to be pretty dead people too. And next I have to watch AI and see who got kicked off. Don't ruin it!

1. Thursday we had out end of season party at work. It was really fun and the food looked great but I didn't get to eat much because it's pretty hard to eat with a plate of food in one hand, a drink in the other, only a fork with no knife, and no where to sit. :) One of the actors was kind of following me around trying to get me to go drink some wine with him. It was kind of creepy so luckily I found some people to talk to.

2. My life is pretty damned boring right now. I need friends.

3. I found out one of the girls on the Apprentice (the girl who'd having the little love affair for those who watch it) is the daughter of someone I used to work with.

4. I am so bored.

5. survey stolen from everyone

...it's good to know that i'm more adventurious than adventurous.

6. boredboredbored

7. I told Scott I was bored. He told me to do something like jump out a window. I said I could tap dance naked and he told me I should. So I did. Let me tell you, tap dancing on carpet isn't that exciting. :(

8. I'm the most boring person alive.

9. A video about upcoming televised eating contests featuring Eater X and Crazy Legs!!!

10. Did I mention that I'm bored???

Jen: Which is hotter a guy who can play piano or a guy who can play acoustic guitar?
Me: Definitely guitar.
Matt: You just said that because I play piano.
Me: Yup.

Matt didn't think I would post this, but I ought to be fair:
My score tonight: 1

:(
it was very hard. I usually have some educated guess but tonight I had no idea. Maybe I really shouldn't brush my teeth before going to drink :)

When I told MK that I was in fact going to post that he gave me his to post too, so to be fair, here is MattyK's:

:)

After wine, Scott, Jen and I headed back to MK's because wine goes straight to my head and I need time to chill before attempting to drive home. Jen tried to teach me salsa because MK won't and then he was a dork and wouldn't even dance with me. LOSER. :(