dancerjodi

January:
New Year’s eve at home, just the 3 of us
Started putting collagen powder in my tea
Getting into knitting again: Monday group, brushing off Ravelry
Kid has some friends over for birthday, ‘murder cat’ bleeding cake
Russell’s Fiber Fest, bought some ‘sherbet’ colored yarn
Volunteered to coordinate the Grade 5 activities, and take on the yearbook
Reread Are You There God It’s Me Margaret before the movie comes out
Manray reopening
Cosplay event at Mill No 5

February:
Kim (Conzo) Strafford dies
Disney vacation with friends at Wilderness Lodge, VIP tour, Tron cast preview
Got my first prescription glasses (progressives)
Brian’s birthday, kid-decorated Mandalorian cake
Dermatology visit for cheek spot (was nothing)
Harlem Wizards event at Kennedy

March:
Read Call of the Jersey Devil (Aurelio Voltaire)
Encanto movie night for Dual Language at our church hall
Learned we were losing our office space in Woburn, and would use swing space in Lowell
Orchids and Yetis at Tower Hill Botanic Garden
Fighting with BCBS over reimbursement
Signed my kid up for middle school elective preferances

April:
40th Anniversary of ROTJ
Are you there god its me Margaret with Lori
No luck with grave location in Fall River Cemetary (great great grandmother)
Portland ME overnight (cool socks, sewing patterns, cold Japanese dinner outside, Taproot store, Cryptozoology Museum)
New Fluevogs
Manray with friends (first time in new location)
Tower Hill / Seed to Stem with Brian
Wicked Comicon (Hynes), Tic Toc
Talent show at church with Katie (soft shoe)
Salem day trip with Brian (Ugly Mug)
24th wedding anniversary
West Newton Cinema at risk to close, fundraising
Schmigadoon season 2
The other 5th grade teacher leaves with no notice (family issues)
Frustration with the Epic rollout

May:
Colonoscopy (all clear)
Canva Grade 5 yearbook, slideshow
Yolanda exhibit at PEM
Worked day at Lowell office
Waltham passes Pride resolution
11 y/o pediatrician checkup, lots of shots, last one before pediatrician ‘retires’
Steampunk festival, frustrated with things not fitting
Mother’s Day at the Gorey House (fashion exhibit)
Brian away
Dance recital #2 with Legacy
Snack shack fundraiser
Kennedy open house
Hurt knee in dance/yoga (swollen, had to elevate)
Beetlejuice in Boston

June:
Music convention with E and Dennis in Boxboro
Rogers the Musical at Disneyland on youtube
Mom and Dad’s 50th anniversary party at EJ’s
2 nights at Indian Head (one with E and Dennis), cahluaandcream.com
Heathers the Musical with Lori and Walker
Flamin’ hot cheetos documentary
Hiking at Met State
Contropolic in Marlboro convention (old NEG reunion)
Elementary School graduation
Kid in teen room in library for the first time
Tap class in my old studio
Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mahem show
Picked up my mouth guard
What we do in the shadows finale
Last Field Day (left early)
Waltham Pride with SW and First Parish

July:
The Pink Ladies TV series
The Barbie Movie and Haunted Mansion
Fancy Art camp (2 sessions)
Ska show and midnight movie (Cabin in the Woods) with Ruckus and Kayla
MWRA work starts on Lexington Street (super disruptive)
Read The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester, once on my own and once with my kid
Tom Lensman wake / Kura Sushi
Making our front porch my ‘chill space’
Binging all of Ted Lasso
7/4 fireworks in Newton

August:
Gym moves to the new, smaller studio
White Bird summer reading
Kid starts wearing elastics with braces
High school musical song at camp “Stick to the Status Quo”
Double ear infection
Paul Rubens died
Trip to Hampton, ran into the Pinos
Bought a Woobles crochet kit to try and learn (Xmas gift)
FanExpo Boston (Rose Quartz)
Read Legends and Lattes

September:
Kid starts middle school, taking a bus for the first time
Back to School night (kid stayed home)
Combo dance class at Legacy studio moves to Tuesday
$$$ spent on car repairs
Terrorcon in Marlboro
Granitecon trooping (met up with EJ), just on Saturday
Nose swollen (blunt trauma from glasses)
First time at the Salem Pioneer Village
Grew a pumpkin (jumped outside of our planter box)
First middle school PTO meeting
Neighbor puts up driveway fence

October:
Tower Hill lights (M brought friend), Mythical Creatures exhibit
Handing out candy, kid trick or treating with friends
Vet trip (muzzled crazy Ginny)
Sam Black Church at the Palladium with Dissa
Kid’s first school dance (tacos on Moody)
13 the Musical at Minuteman (camp friend)
Lightsabers for Leia / Troop at the Wakefield Library
Honeypot hill fence heightened (no more goat feeding)
Brian went to Friday the 13th outdoor movie event
Finished knitting my sherbet colored hat for M
Watching Red Rose movies, Reservation Dogs (show finale)

November:
Municipal election (mayor), only 32% of voters came out! Paz lost.
Watching Gilmore Girls for the first time (introspective as a parent)
Science teacher birthday gift shopping (evolution themed gifts)
Skipped RICC ($$$)
Sleepover, Salem with E and Dennis
Brian’s truck hit in front of the house / play at Kennedy (Elsewhere)
Manray with Carlos and Jen
Thanksgiving with 6 (EJ and Jen and crews missed due to illness)
30th reunion with Melanie / Brian at metal show in Bangor

December:
Waldorf Faire (lame and sad), Panera, friend back home and tree decorating. Watched FNAF movie
Hope theme at church (week 1 of advent), service with Jewish group. M at mall with friends during CSA pickup. Scott Pilgrim on Netflix
House decorated, 12 food skeleton in the yard with a santa hat and scarf
Saw Waitress the musical in the Arsenal theater with Katie, Ace, and Colleen (all the crying)
Work holiday luncheon at Tulip in Stoneham (donation gift for 17 y/o boy, yankee swap from Waldorf faire, and all the pizelles)
Finally got the check for our totalled truck, and picked up a newer version of the same one
Fighting a persistent cold, missing the gym and dance class
Cold turned into flu? Stomach bug? I got it and then M
Tower Hill Lights (M brought friend J)
Yule at First Parish with my kid and friend (and snacks)
Family brunch at my parent’s
Salem Art Gallery
Kid at friend’s, and trip to Davis Square for Diesel and shopping
Overnight at tiny cabin at Common Man Plymouth (Dinner at the Italian Farmhouse) while kid slept over at a friend’s house

We had a nice Xmas and NYE with family and friends. I miss dancing (we had around 2 weeks with no classes). I'm doing that stereotypical thing of trying with the new year to eat better, move more and that kind of thing.

Our boss asked us to read QBQ, Question behind the Question by John G Miller for a work 'book club'. We have a lot we are up against and she thought it may help us remain positive and productive. The basic idea is that we shouldn't wallow in complaints, shouldn't pass the buck, shouldn't procrastinate. We should look at issues at work in terms of what we can do to improve it/make gains. We are discussing as a group in a week or so but in the meantime I am trying to keep it in mind. We have had a lot of frustrations in our new affiliation with NEQCA, and I feel like we keep hitting walls, not finding a lot to do to improve persistent problems. I'll keep trying.

Dancing is fun! I have 2 classes a week unless one is cancelled or I have another commitment. Grace was having a special on personal training, so I purchased 4 sessions with her. I need to figure out how to fit them in and when to schedule them. I'm hoping she can help with keeping me honest with more core/strength work, and also maybe help to see what I may be doing to annoy a persistent knee issue (which ends up making other parts of me sore, at odd and unpredictable times). I continue to have massage 1x a month with Sarah to try and keep up on what's going on with me.

Home is nice. Brian and I have managed to have date nights somewhat more regularly. It is frustrating that family is far away and we have to pay a lot for a simple night out, but it was our choice to have a kid and it is our choice to live where we do. Mina is alternatively awesome and fun and then extremely sassy. She and I are very similar and butt heads (more than she will with Brian). She has issues at school at times but never academically. None of us can really figure out what the root is (and when discussing with her her she isn't able to really articulate it). I asked her if she wanted to go and talk to a 'doctor but for the stuff going on in your head' and she very enthusiastically said "YES! A WOMAN!". So I have set up their initial appointment for a couple of weeks from now. Last year she had an issue with her supposed "BFF" who was kind of a jerk and kind of bullying everyone. They aren't in the same class this year anymore but issues from that (I think) still persist. I'm hoping this helps us and her get some understanding, and have some progress. 6/7 is much too young for social drama, but I'm learning that this doesn't matter for girls it seems. :/

On the home front we have some minor things to figure out. I want to do some minor patching/painting in spots inside. We have a terrible driveway and stonework in the front to repair. We need to figure out how taxes and potential bonus' go and make plans for the house, bills and travel.

This April is our 20th wedding anniversary! My sister is going to take Mina for 2 nights and we are going to North Conway, staying at the same place (in the same room) we had our Honeymoon! We are also looking to plan a Disney (probably World) trip in the summer, for longer than last time and maybe for part or all of it at the Animal Kingdom Lodge (with some animal views). It all depends on what other things we want to try and do or not do.

Happy New Year!

Our cats are 11 (Mal) and 13 (Jayne).  About 2 years ago our vet commented that Jayne was dropping weight and Mal was too heavy.  They suggested we hold back the dry food, go for more protein, and limit what they ate, but then give extra to Jayne.  We succeeded!  Jayne gained a bit and Mal lost some.  They were very happy.  They did say that the quickness with which Mal dropped the weight added to his age, was odd.  Pet parents aren't usually so effective, but he was a good weight, so they suggested that we keep an eye on him.

Well, he has been losing more weight.  His bones are kind of sticking out in places, and we only recently noticed it.  I have an appointment for him at the vet on Monday, and am trying to not get too nervous before we go.

Both cats have been pretty uninterested in their cat food lately.  I don't know if the company changed their recipe or what.  I had started giving more dry food again, and they aren't too much into that either.  We grabbed some cans of another brand to try and they are similarly disinterested.  They will eat a bit, but not ravenously suck it all down (we would give some wet in the AM, some wet in the PM, and then a little dry to supplement at some point).  The only thing they have been super excited about has been their Trader Joe's cat treats, which we give to them at night in Mina's bedroom.

So who the hell knows.  Given that Jayne is the older cat and the one with the health issues, he is the one we were expecting to go first.  Our cat longevity expectations are a bit unreasonable too I think, given that all of ours lived to 20+ (the last one, Max, had diabetes for his last 5 years).

I hope I am overreacting.  I'm dreading facing this whenever it comes, with Mina. :(

We started cleaning out the dance studio last night.  The amount of things there is mindboggling.

There is a lifetime of records and tapes and CDs.
Furniture emptied
A Lane Home Chest, filled with old hand-made costumes
Antiques to find homes for (an old ticket window and a baby grand piano)
Two ancient sewing machines

People are trying to help, and trying to take home mementos of their own

Folks are going through and finding things they never new existed, like old photos or autographs from celebrities (Eleanor Powell!)

My friends L and S own a Kung Fu studio, and will take the red and white mats, and some mirrors, so history lives on a bit.  I'll be back up tonight to help sorting again, and will cart a lot of the trash to my friend's house for pickup tomorrow.

I'm ending up with a neat piece of modern art sculpture for my office, because Miss Patty thought of me when she saw it.

Craziness.

Prince is dead at age 57.  The world has lost another artist. :(

Brian was at the Heroes and Villians con this past weekend (Seacaucus, NJ) and so it was ladies' weekend from Friday until about dinnertime on Sunday.  Mina and I had a lot of nice time together, but she missed him hardcore.  She "slept" (badly) mostly in my bed, and when we weren't together in my bed we were together in hers.  Still, I'm proud that I managed to bathe myself, keep us easily fed and manage laudry, dishes and trash.  I'm shocked, actually.  I'm also glad that Brian made it home safely in the snow, and was insanely jealous of him being snowed in with John Barrowman and Stephen Amell, singing showtunes.

We went for the orientation at the new school yesterday.  I went up to get Mina settled into her new classroom at around 9:30 (after their drop-off/breakfast period) and then once she was comfortable with that, went down to fill out papers/answer surveys.  It is amazing how much different this place is in its formality and involvement with the families.  We talked about volunteer opportunities and regulations that the program is held to.  They actually operate the town's Head Start program (though they aren't exclusively Head Start), and as such receive Federal Funds, and have to meet the requirements related to that.  As a private-pay student, Mina/we don't need to adhere to a lot of the rules, but we had to do things like fill out WAY more paperwork, and get dental reports, which aren't typically required.  After meeting with an administrator I sat with her teacher, Miss Danielle, and went over another long survey so she could get to know our family, traditions, styles and Mina's nuances.  I am way, way, over the moon impressed, and kind of feeling silly that we hadn't found these folks earlier.

I ran into 2 people I knew there.  One used to be a teacher at Mina's school, and I think isn't a teacher or aide there, but has a daughter there in the school.  The other was someone I worked with at Burger King in High School!  I went to her young daughter's 3rd birthday party or something in her old, shitty subsidized apartment.  There were plaques on the wall indicating "PLEASE KEEP THIS AREA TIDY AND CLEAN".  Talk about demeaning.  Said daughter is now 26, and she went on to have 3 more kids.  Still married to the same guy she was married to.  At 17.  She works there in the kitchen, and the kids all know her.  She said we will love it.  It the short time I was away from Mina she played with all of the things, made some friends and made a few art projects to take home.  Mind = blown.

I'm looking forward to getting back to the normal routine.  Between the school transition, visiting Justin and his wake and funeral and then Brian's NJ trip it has been very crazy for us all.  Yay for mundane routines, sometimes.

As our friends are off playing in the geeky sandbox that is Star Wars Celebration, I feel like I'm in an odd place.  It is kind of like those first few years that we didn't go to Dragoncon.  There are folks we've met that we only see at these big conventions, and so I'm missing them.  If the bash does end up being a big huge, fun, nerdy dance party, I'll miss that (not sure if it will this year, though).  There is always fun merch to be had, but years after prior Celebrations there are few mementos I look back on and smile about.  I'm kind of sad that we aren't introducing Mina to Disneyland, but I know that she's young and there is a lot there she can't really appreciate (plus the FL park is better).  It is hard to say how the experience would go with a Mina in tow, anyway.  Long-term overnight babysitting isn't an option for us, and so a lot of the things we love the best about the SWC experience wouldn't happen (together) or be so easy, anyway.

The Dragoncon sadness got better each year, and now I don't think much about it at all.  I like seeing costume photos and hearing stories when my friends come back home, but I don't miss it anymore.  Kind of like Manray.  I'm not the person anymore that I was in those days.  I miss those experiences and sometimes that person, but love where I'm at today.  It is a fond sentimentality, not a sad one.

Most of all, I'm excited to check out the new Spring Megafest convention this weekend (thank you for giving us a non-Celebration alternative!) and even moreso, I'm excited about our White Mountains vacation, next weekend.

I tend not to make a big deal about birthdays, but I resolved to do 'all the things I like to do' this year to celebrate my 40th year.  I'm proud of myself for sticking to it, and thankful to Brian for humoring me with my arrangements. :)

I've decided to do the Polar Plunge tomorrow morning.  FOR BOSTON!  Gods and Goddesses help me!

Home:
Some Thanksgiving prep/shopping
Yard/porch cleanup for winter (get the leaves out)

Work:
EDW migration work
General catch up/cleanup on little things

Personal:
Gym one day this week
Fireplace once night with Brian/Books or crafting