What’s Really Important?

I mean really… What's really important??

As I prepare to engage my full life and full schedule again. I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Now that I have less free time, (not that I was ever super productive when I did have free time), what is really important to me and what I want to do?

Then… I saw this mini documentary in TLC last week. It was following one of the former winners of NBC's "The Biggest Loser" this gentleman was one of the people that lost the most amount of weight on the show. They were doing a "where is he now?" kind of follow up. This hit home for me… first because I auditioned for this show when I started dancing, and didn't make it… and second because he had regained ¾ of the weight back once the cameras were turned off. His reasoning was that once all the attention was off of him, he felt a little abandoned and stopped caring as much. Also, that while what he did on the show was amazing… that it didn't really teach him how to live daily life.

I can identify with him…

In my days of unemployment, I could have really chosen to kick up the workouts and kept up with the weight loss, let's face it… the last year and a half or so, I slid… I myself at one point had put back on 40 pounds of what I had lost…then dropped 20, then put back on 10… I think… I didn't pay that close attention… my family did though… every so often I'd get comments "Well you know you've put a lot of weight back on." Or whatever… That made me angry… but I was too busy being depressed. I couldn't see my way back to the path of good, healthy living. Could the reasons behind it be because I didn't have all that attention I was receiving from anyone and everyone in my dancing life to propel me forward? Was it possible that I was relying too much on outside influences to keep me on the path of a healthy life? ABSOLUTELY!

One BIG thing that has had me thinking in the days since I saw all of this on TV… is what does it come down to? It comes down to me… do I have the inner strength to reach my goals? Can I be humble enough to ask for help when I need it?

Well… my mind finally whittled all of that down into one simple question… What is really important? The other catalyst in all of this is that at my new job, where I'm meeting all these new people, who don't know me, my past, what I write, they vaguely know that I even dance. They have made comments about me being unique, and unusual, and things you don't normally hear from co-workers that hardly know me or my work ethic. THEY have noticed in two short weeks, some of the things I pride myself on… reminded me that I am the person I set out to be every day.

So now that I am working on building my life back up to what it should be, what it was two years ago, only better… I am continually asking myself "What is really important, no, REALLY important?… Am I willing to work to get and keep what is really important?"

The answer to the first is that it is REALLY important that I be proud of myself and my performance in everything I do. Whether I'm setting out to train a new client on software, write a blog post, dance a rumba, commit to my 10,000 dance steps a day program, go out with the dance gang after a party. I must enter and exit each one of those situations being proud of myself, and being proud of the way I handle whatever situations come up.

Ok...so now you ask what does it take for me to be proud of myself? Because, I did NOT come away from my unemployment experience being full of pride with the way I handled it. In fact… if I were to grade myself on it… I'd give myself a "D." So, for me to be proud of myself now… I have to put in the effort; I have to be honest with everybody, including myself. (That last bit is going to be tough… I'm exceptionally good at pulling the wool over my own eyes) Yeah, it can be said as easily as that… however to actually do it… now that's going to be the challenge.

I am still on the same mission I set out when I started this blog, well before I started this blog actually… I will be on it for the rest of my life, and right now… it's time that I start participating in my adventure as much as I THINK about participating in my own adventure. I am a very passionate person, and I've somehow limited myself to only expressing that passion in certain areas of my life… well that's gotta change.

So to answer the second part of the question... YES I am absolutely ready to put the work in and make this life everything I want it to be. I had it at one point in the not so distant past, it's time I regain it.. and keep it... for good. :-)

 

10,000 Dance Steps a Day Update:
For those of you on the 10,000 Dance Steps a Day program with me, I'm averaging 5,000 steps a day right now with some effort… I'm still working out my new schedule and waiting for my paychecks to start up so I can do things like put enough gas in my car to get to the dance studio, and gym again. This is not a setback, it's a mere rescheduling. Not everything can go exactly as planned… and I'm not giving up… so don't you do it either.

Up, Running, and Beginning Anew…

 

Hi everyone and thank you for your patience. I had to disappear for a bit to get used to my new work schedule. After 11 months of unemployment, getting used to waking up to an alarm and going to bed at a decent time is tough! I am VERY pleased to announce that I LOVE the company I work for, and my job, while it will require some things I've never done before (like carry a BlackBerry and work from home) it is just about everything I want in a day job. YAY!

Things I miss about having a job aren't the same things most people miss I don't think, well maybe… I didn't realize that I missed them until I got them back, like having a schedule, the EASE of planning meals and finding small ways to get some extra steps in. My office is on the 4^th floor, and while I won't be taking the stairs in the AM or in the PM (because I'll be carrying a laptop and various other work day necessities) I HAVE been taking the stairs to get to the vending machine, (which stocks V8!) and to run to the mailbox..That sort of thing. My legs currently hate me for it, but they'll learn.

Now that I feel ok being back in the swing of being busy and having more of a purpose to my daily life. I would like to start my 90 days of stepping anew… They say you don't get "do over's" in life… and for the most part they're right… but in this case we can make an exception.

Day 1 again Friday February 19^th.

It's my life… I can do what I want J

10,000 steps tomorrow or bust!

I've Been Cleared for Landing!

Alright! Now we're talking!


The very day I wrote about feeling like I was in a holding pattern waiting for clearance from the tower my life was put into fast forward...

I received my hiring contract with all the bells and whistles that come with this job... I start on MONDAY! YAY!

I put a fast forward on getting my car fixed by having that done on Friday, and it cost $100 less than the estimate I was quoted! YES...less to pay back to my wonderful benefactors!

Friday night I put my ankle to the test and attended the dance party at the studio, and while I didn't feel any pain, the dance shoe attached to my wounded ankle did get progressively tighter as the evening wore on... so still not totally healed yet, but no pain was a good sign. So I'm going to pick up the 10,000 dance steps on Monday...


Now I'm preparing to have a life again... I know it's going to be slow going for a few weeks, until some paychecks start rolling in and I get used to waking up to an alarm again.... but I can't wait!


I also decided that...while I thought I had a good thing going with The Beau... you know what? It wasn't meant to be and that's why I was never upset about his ending the relationship... I have officially jumped back into the dating world, and came back out with no scars to show.. so I'll be joining the dating scene again as soon as I've got my new work and dance schedule figured out! I'm really excited about this too!


They say that 2010 is the year of the Tiger on the Chinese calendar... I disagree... this is the YEAR OF THE KAT!

Sure... I got slowed up for a bit... but that's nothing... just wait...



Away we go!

In a Holding Pattern, Waiting for Clearance from the Tower...

Hi... well... lots of development this past week... once again steering me away from the dance floor.... but that's ok for the moment... but only for the moment...



I feel like an airplane set in a holding pattern, waiting for clearance from the tower to come in for a landing...



1- Ankle is getting better, more slowly than previously thought... So I'm waiting on that.

2- Limited Finances being what they are, I am pretty much homebound until I can muster up the money to put gas in my car AND go out.

3- Still haven't received the hiring contract for my new position.... I've been assured that it's just waiting for one more signature and then I'll have it... this is the biggest thing that makes me feel like this is a holding pattern.

4- The Beau decided to break up with me, then take me to dinner... which I'm still not upset about, hey... if he wanted to end it for the lame reasons he ended it... he's not who I thought he was... as soon as I get my finances in order...I'm back out in the dating pool again.

5- My car battery decided to die on me twice... so I took it in... and turns out I need about $600 in repairs to make it a reliable car again.... so now I'm facing $600 in debt... the appt to have it fixed is next week... until then... fingers crossed... I can start it every time I go to run an errand.



All of this, you'd think would have me totally down... but I'm not... it's just put me into this holding pattern... because as soon as I get everything straight...I'm going to pick up where I left off and not look back.



So I ask the tower... "Tower this is flight Kilo Alpha Tango Two Zero One Zero requesting permission to land and get on with things... is the runway clear yet... over?"

Frustration Nation... and I am the Queen!

UGH! So, regarding the 10,000 steps.... we're waiting until next week to start again and hitting them every day... which is good because my ankle is now healing nicely.... although I miss the dance floor something terrible. I need that outlet!

Also while I did get this new job I'm still in the process of waiting for the hiring contract... which I was told takes two to three weeks, we've just passed week two.... and I'm FRUSTRATED that I don't have word on when my start date would be!!!! It's hard not to be frustrated when my future is almost entirely hanging in the balance here.

Combine that with no dancing and a sore ankle and.... well... I'm not a very happy Kat right now.

I am not so blind to the fact that this is still an excellent year for me... and it will continue to be that way... I just don't like waiting... I don't like not knowing... and I don't like not dancing. UGH!

I just need to take this one day at a time.... and one hour at a time if that's what I need... and I'll get my start date, get my feet back on the dance floor, and start back up with life the way I know it's going to be.

I hate being Frustrated... this is one of those spectacularly bad feeling days that I'm going to rebound from... I just need to take a minute and breathe.

The week of 10,000 EVERY DAY begins!

Hi gang!

This living life thing is just too much!!! :-)

In fact I'm still really busy living life today, but can't forget you all! So short and sweet, here's the deal.

Blog reader of note #360 set forth a challenge that I hit 10000 steps every day this week starting yesterday and if I can do it he'll increase his donation to Dizzy Feet Foundation! Well this girl loves a challenge... so I spent the weekend trying to heal up my ankle as much as I could and hit the treadmill hard core yesterday. In a normal workout I cover just over 2 miles... yesterday, because I knew there wouldn't be many steps outside the gym taken... which is what happens when you have to clean your house and take care of your neighbor (not have to, but want and need to)... I covered FOUR MILES.... can we say muscle pain? I believe we can!

But what I can also tell you is that, ok.. I don't think my ankle is ready for this yet, it REALLY hates me today, but I'll keep trying. Second, the minute my pedometer hit 10,000 which was very close to midnight last night... I took it off, took a picture with my phone, and promptly went to bed. Third... I want my ankle to be better so I can DANCE these steps away... unfortunately dancing takes a much greater toll on the ankle than simply walking... so I'll take the steps any way I can right now... but pretty soon.. dancing here I come!

So Day one... EXACTLY 10000 registered steps!

Day two is going to prove a bit of a challenge.

Now if you'll excuse me... I'm going to take a moment at ice my ankle before I pick up the battle again. :-)

Just as I decide to write about life...

.... I start actually living it! Which makes it harder to find time to sit down and write.... Can't say I'm complaining though. :-)



Developments, developments it's been a busy week!

First... I will let you know that I reached my goal of 10000 steps several days early! Saturday to be exact... the pedometer registered 10200 steps. Given that these contraptions aren't the most accurate I will take the overage as meaning that I truly did reach my 10000 steps! YAY...

#360 The goal has been met, and I thank you for your contribution!

Captain! Welcome back to the blog! Thank you for yours as well! I'll use your generosity as my incentive for next Wednesday!



Other things that have hit my world, that have made it the happiest place to be... I received a job offer! It is the best of all possible scenarios and after background and reference checks I will have a start date.. and YAY after nine months I will be gainfully employed! Wah hoo!!!!



Second, I managed to find myself a guy... a guy that, in the early stages of this new adventure, seems to be exactly what I need. He's smart, funny, good looking, has the best manners on the planet, and we can very easily pass away the hours talking about everything and nothing. He even loves that I dance, and write and even after knowing him a short time is just as excited about my job as I am. He will come up every now and again referred to only as "The Beau"

The one bit of negativity that I do have to report is that last Saturday (the day I actually hit my 10000 steps) I slipped on the ice at my apartment before heading into the city to spend the afternoon with Jem and the evening with The Beau... I didn't think anything of it.. my foot hurt, but could take weight... and so I cruised around the city all day and night having a wonderful time... Now it seems that my entire right foot is swollen and bruised the most unruly shade of purple. So it's off the dance floor for me, and once again elevating and icing. I'm still taking steps though.. just not many of them dance, as my dance shoe's closure runs right across the bruise and quite frankly... hurts.

I am STILL counting steps! I'm averaging around 6000-7000 a day thanks to slow walks on the treadmill... every little bit helps... I will once again reach my goal of 10000 steps on Wednesday. Pretty soon this is going to have to be a daily thing... and while I'm pretty much the first one to ignore an injury, I've put my feet and ankles through so much this past year that I now have to respect the damage and take care of it.

So far the only think I can think is that 2010 is my year.. and there is nothing... NOTHING that is going to be able to stop my momentum... 2010 is the year of the Kat.

Keep those comments coming folks! Thoughts, ideas, maybe tips on how to get a blood bruise to go away faster? I'll work on getting more writing time in!

It's Funny How Timing Works...

It really is. I've flat out told you that fate has been good to me, and it has. Take the start of 2010 as an example. I knew I was going to start the "One Dance Step at a Time" campaign, I knew I was going to throw myself into dancing again the way I did back when. I didn't know I was going to be met with such excitement and support as I have been. So I must have hit at the right time!

I am excited for these things.... and MORE!

Day 2- 1,723 steps... and only about 700 dance steps as I practiced some Salsa and Rumba in my kitchen this morning. Mentally tiring day, but sadly not physical. That's ok these things happen. This morning I received a call from a neighbor in my complex. I have two of the most wonderful neighbors on the planet! I refer to them both as my "neighbor Moms" because we have a very tight bond with each other that way. Neighbor Mom 1 called and asked me to check in on Neighbor Mom 2, who has been having some health issues of late. Since I have the time, and would like to help in anyway I can, I made a point to check in. Neighbor Mom 2 was not well off, but my presence and humor always seem to make her better... so I hung with her at her place for several hours, then ran an errand for her. It makes me feel good to help.

So it's a rough start...but everyone has to start somewhere and it can't all be sunshine and flowers (blech).... which is okay... my motto for a long time has been "That which doesn't kill me only serves to make me stronger" and stronger I shall be!

As fate would have it, knowing that my game face is on, one of my readers has sweetened the pot. I receieved a comment from him/her stating that they would donate $50 in my name to the Dizzy Feet Foundation if I can make my goal of 10,000 steps by next Wednesday. This is truly uncanny... becasue I had just been disgussing with some friends about how I need to take my status and developing clout and do some good with it, or there is no point in having it. I would like to get involved with setting up challenges for myself and you...that will result in donations of time or money to a worth while cause.

The Dizzy Feet Foundation is a charity set up by the producers of So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars... it's goal is threefold...
(1) to provide scholarships to talented students studying at accredited dance schools, studios, or institutions.
(2) to establish national standards for dance education and an accreditation program for dance schools in all of the major styles of dance.
(3) to develop, provide, and/or support dance education programs for disadvantaged children through and with local community organizations.

I grant you that providing dance scholarships and funding programs for disadvantaged children in communities is not the most pressing issue we have today. However, I also KNOW that there is no better way to make sure that we don't have these issues in the future than to make sure we are supporting today's youth.

I would be NOWHERE without a Fine Arts program in my schools and community growing up and I certainly wouldn't be anywhere but on my way to an early grave without my discovery of dance. Therefore I would like to help other kids that are maybe in the same place I was as a kid..looking for an outlet, looking to make friends and connect. Also, there are adults in those underprivilaged communities that can benefit from a little dance in their lives. I can do this.. WE can do this!

10,000 steps reached by next Wednesday January 20th at 11:59pm wherever you live.... once we reach this goal we'll find another and another and do it all over again... life is nothing without goals and challenges. I've got one bid for $50... tempting me to make it happen... anyone else care to challenge me some more??? I'm up for it... I look your challenge in the face and I say HA! What else you got???

Tomorrow is another day.. and I plan to dance step my way through it!

One Dance Step at a Time...

It's here! Happy 31st Birthday to me!! 31 years ago today I entered this world.... 3.5 years ago I found my passion in dancing. 2.5 years (ish) ago I started telling you all about it... and you've all been great about following along in my adventures...



TODAY... I give you the latest and greatest in how I'm going to keep this up!



It's been staring at me all along.. in the blog title... "Ballroom Dancing: Changing my Life One Step at a Time"... It's time to take this One Step at a Time... quite literally.... One Dance Step at a Time.

For the first quarter of this year beginning today, I will be counting my steps. Much like the popular "10,000 steps a day" program that is instituted in many major corporations. The idea is that not only will it give me, and you who join me, something positive to focus on for counting calories and living healthy... but it will make us more aware of how much we actually move in a day.

Statistics state that a sedentary person (aka lazy lumps like me most days) take less than 3,000 steps... well I was WAY under 3,000 steps when I first started testing a few weeks ago. I have a pedometer, (one can be purchased at your local super mart for about $5) and I will be wearing it all the time... the mission, as I've chosen to accept it.. is that I will work my hardest to reach 10,000 steps every day, and make as many of those dance steps as I can for the next 90 days.

I had a blast figuring out my steps... Steps from computer to fridge - 10... Steps from far side of bedroom to bathroom- 5-7 (what can I say... my place is small) Average steps in Salsa group class... 1,754... Steps during my last lesson with RT... aprox 2,000. Alright.. now we're talking!

So as I issue this challenge for myself, I am throwing the gauntlet out to everyone that sees this page. Join with me and start taking it one step at a time. It will be an adventure like we've never tried and it will be entertaining to say the least.

Not only that.. but instead of the once, twice a week, whenever I feel like it posts.. you'll be seeing my posts as often as is possible... not when I feel like letting you in my world... but all the time. You'll read more about not only my dancing life, but my real life as a whole. Mainly because they are so closely linked. You'll also learn how you to can in fact absolutely rock your own world.. I love and own the vast majority of my world.. it's time you do the same, and it's time I learn how to rock and roll in all parts of my life... Come on.. Join me!

What you don't know as my valued readers... what you are going to LEARN is that I'm brassy, I'm confident, I'm brutally honest, I'm more than just the "bubble gum pop" entertainment this blog as been.... and dancing has given me the power to do that and be that and I'm going to show you how by leading through example. I also have spectacularly bad days.. and manage to bounce back from them with a force like no other... and I want.... no better... I need to share that with you... to let you know that it's okay for that to happen.

There is another aspect to this challenge that for me will probably be the hardest of all.. My new dance friend, and practice partner that I had mentioned at the top of the year... Horace... has presented me with a challenge that I can't help but take up and to run with.. Me.. the girl that during her height of major weight loss, weighed herself twice a day just to see what the numbers on the scale would do... I am challenged to weigh myself today... and not once again for 90 days... I can't tell you how hard that will be for me! This is all about health, and feeling better about being in my skin and we know that this feeling is not based on the number on the scale... hey I'm a strong woman with a strong muscular frame... who knows what my healthy weight can be... what I want is to FEEL confident in the clothes I wear every day and to FEEL better about my life 100% and I have always said that it is my purpose in life...check my profile.... to tell other's how be passionate about life... now is the time that I put the edit button aside.. and do just that.

Will you celebrate life with me and join the "One Dance Step at a Time" Challenge? I sure hope so! 10,000 steps a day is about 5 miles... I'm committed... this feels right, and the way it should be... no more being shy... it's time to own your life and as I like to refer to myself... be the "rock star" I know I am on the dance floor in my every day!

Day 1... approximately 3000 steps. (at the very peak of sedentary!) and about 1,700 of those were with Largo tonight for my birthday lesson! Tomorrow is a new day.. and I've got 10,000 steps as my mission. Care to hedge bets? I bet I figure out how to hit 8,000 steps by Friday.. and I'm unemployed... How many steps do you think you take around the office??? I also wager that 10,000 steps will be hit a week from now... anyone have an over/under on how many will be dance steps?

Game on! Happy 31 to me! Happy Dancing to you! Let's do this!

First Party of the Year 2010!

Hi everybody! Is everyone having as wonderful a start to 2010 as I am? I really hope so! But more of that is to come on Tuesday Jan 12... so make sure you check in!

The first party of the year kicked off on Friday... the theme... was "New Year's Eve Deja Vu." It was my first step into the dance studio for this year and I was a little anxious. I hadn't danced aside from a little "kitchen salsa" in about three weeks... so I knew I was gonna be rough on the floor, but needed to dance!!!!

I arrived just after the lights had turned off and the music was going... I changed into my new shoes.. that had been sitting in the car the whole break (cold!) and quickly realized they still need some adjusting...which was something I wasn't about to deal with.... I took my spot on the sidelines and greeted a few friends and some of the professionals... of course I told them what I fantastic year I'd been having so far... we know me... I have a hard time containing my excitement! (More to come on January 12th!)

The party was pretty surprisingly light, not many people there... although still follow heavy (lots of women) so not a ton of dancing to be done, but I did get some! STP picked me up for a Tango and I felt like a klutz... he's a really good lead and we've had some amazing dances in the past... this..wasn't one of them. So I thought... Great, so this is how it's gonna be huh? Gotta get back in here! After that I chatted with some dance friends and waited for my next lead. One of the established student leads grabbed me for an East Coast Swing.... I danced with him several times at the last party and wow had he improved! I now officially love dancing with him!... but the ECS was rough too... dang it!

I found Largo and realized how much I missed him... I told him some highlights of my great news just as the dance style was announced... SALSA! Yeah baby! That was one of the roughest Salsa's of my life... but it was one of the best dances of my night. :-) I think that was all Largo's doing though. He's entirely too much fun.

What other dances did I get... well there were some new leads I'd never met before... two of which I had the privilege of dancing with. I love dancing with the new guys... I love that they're nervous and I'm not.. and I love that it's my job to make us look good so they don't actually need to worry. They were both very good for the experience they've had, I can't wait to see how they progress. One I danced with several times showed improvement on each dance.

CWS picked me up for a disaster of a Waltz.. but he was really sweet about it... I had executed the same moves with other pros just three weeks ago.. and couldn't remember a dang thing about it! This is why I hate leaving the studio... I think I really do need those daily reminders I mentioned in the past. I felt terrible about it and promised I'd be better next week.

I also got to dance with TSD which is a pretty rare occurrence... we got to do East Coast Swing, where he decided to lead me through a step I hadn't done in...oh about a year... and then took part of the dance to re-teach it to me... which was actually quite helpful. When the dance was over he gave me some good suggestions on a location for Salsa... I may have to look further into it. I haven't been Salsa dancing in forever.

Michael from Bonnie's Belle Gowns was there and we danced a Cha Cha and the second Salsa of the evening.. the two dances I can't possibly turn down... way too much fun!

The event that sticks out most in my mind though happened towards the end of the evening. The studio has a tradition of having everyone gather in a circle and we all share the experience of the song "SHOUT" It's actually a lot of fun, a lot of the pros get goofy about it. TSD got in the center like James Brown, STP then followed and draped a jacket over him.. very cute. Then STP decided to go around and grab random students by the waist and hoist them up for a second (jump assisted by the student of course). Well he came to me, and got behind me.. touched my waist and knew there wasn't a dang thing he could do about lifting me (first- I outweigh him, second- anytime anyone tries it I purposely make it harder by pushing all my weight into the floor). So he got in front of me and said "Lift me!" Instantly visions of my lifting RT last year to win the Hustle Contest flash in my mind. I think ok, I'll just put my hands on his waist and let him jump... well no.. my body doesn't respond like that.. he jumps and I lift.. and STP is suspended in front of me for a second or two before coming back down to the floor.

"You're STRONG!" STP exclaims!

I'm flabbergasted that he thought anything but and saddened that I performed such an action (as previously explained, I don't like to display my strength)....

"What did you expect??" I respond, puzzled.

STP moved on to continue his picking up of random students around the circle.....

After "SHOUT" was over, I gathered my belongings and prepared to leave. On my way out I passed STP in the lobby area and simply stated...

"That's the last time you ask me to pick you up I betcha." with a wry expression.

"Yeah you're strong!" He replies with a grin.

*Sigh*... yes I'm strong... we know I'm strong... but I find it very unladylike to display such a strength... oh well... bottom line is... it is who I am and I will learn to be happy with it. Lets face it.. the more I dance the stronger I become.

All in all a very nice party and another great event to add to my really nice start to 2010! Have I mentioned lately how much I love to dance Ballroom????

See you all on Tuesday Jan 12 (late night) for my new developments!

Happy Dancing!

Here we are.. a brand new year! Gearing up for Big Things!

Welcome to the new year my friends! I'm starting to think maybe ringing in the new year quietly is more my style.. because with the exception of dancing... 2010 is starting off with a real bang! Sadly I haven't been on the hardwood in a couple of weeks... and oh I miss it dearly! It's something I had to do though... had to get some other things in order before I go back to the studio. I'm still working on the exciting new development, and we are a mere week from my own personal time to renew, refresh, and take the world by the horns again... yep you guessed it, my birthday is next week! :-)

Most scoff at the idea that I like my birthday, or that they could like their own. It marks the passage of time, another tick on the odometer of life.. but you know what? I think of all of those as good things! Without time, I wouldn't really have another reliable way to judge what's going on, and you wouldn't either. Why do I like my birthday you ask? It's simple! It's my one day... the one day where I get to set aside and celebrate life the way I like to, without hesitation, regret, or remorse. Sometimes it changes, sometimes I like big blow out parties, and sometimes, like this year I am choosing a more quiet approach..but rest assured... it may not be the actual day.. but I will set aside time to do what I want to remind myself that I'M STILL HERE! :-)

It wasn't all that long ago that I didn't really want to be after all, and now that I do? Hello! I LOVE IT! This year I get to mark the "big" 31. I happen to love being in my 30's thank you very much!

I'm also going to use the day to announce my big plan for "1st Quarter 2010" so keep your eyes peeled... it's just days away! It's a plan that will have you all with me every step of the way, and if you choose to participate, we can do some very small things every day to change the way we feel about life, dancing, eating, and even the dreaded working out! I am VERY Excited about it! It's not that original, but you all know... I'll make it my own run with it, and take you all along with me! (It's no fun for this girl to do these things on her own now...you know that!)

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday and is happy to have the new decade to work with... GREAT THINGS ARE AHEAD.... I GUARANTEE IT!

Are you Ready for 2010?

... I am. I'm certainly ready to say goodbye to 2009... what started out as such a fantastic year has ended up pretty ho-hum. Yes, there were some major highlights... RT and I doing our Cha Cha Routine...and received the first ever pro/am standing ovation for it! I got to compete for the first time in Mini Match. I had some of the BEST lessons in dance EVER...made some SERIOUS progress in what is now becoming my dancing skill...I met a new practice partner and dance friend...I started selling t-shirts and things here... RT showed his true bravery in following his dreams and moving out of state to do it! Finally, I've made a major commitment to blogging and lifestyle changes (more on that to come in January!).

So when I think of 2009, that's what I'm going to think on... but not for too long, because it is not the time to dwell on the past...

NOW is for looking to the future! NOW is the time to recollect ourselves and set forth on the exciting new adventures that 2010 has in store for us!

I thank you all for sticking by me as readers, fans, and friends..... just wait.. it's only gonna get better from here!

My wish for you all is a happy and successful 2010!

Happy New Year!

Happy Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!

Hi all!


I am fully aware that not everyone celebrates Christmas. However the spirit of Christmas, of giving of yourself to help others and wishing everyone good tidings is appropriate for everyone, regardless if you actually celebrate or not... So that is what I would like to do here...





I hope this finds you all well and with loved ones, and that you want for nothing.





To quote my favorite Christmas story Twas the Night Before Christmas

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a Goodnight!"

The Last Dances with RT.... Farewell to a True Professional

Sorry the blogging has been quiet since last week, but I do have some exciting news! Shortly after my last post, I received a call from RT. RT was calling to let me know that he had an exciting new opportunity to expand and grow in his professional dancing! See, for the last couple of months RT had been auditioning with a new partner, a lovely gal who is very strong in her own right in dance and was looking for a professional partner. I was lucky enough to see one of these practices early on, and I was excited because they seem very well suited for each other. I had been very excited to hear more on this possible partnership for him, the hope was that she would be coming to the area to work and be based here in Chicago.

I am very pleased to tell you that the auditions paid off, and they will now be dance partners! This is something I have wanted to see for my pro for a long time! There is another bit to the news though... In order for this partnership to work, and for RT to be able to grow in his professional career the way he's always wanted, he is going to move to be with her in a brand new studio in Minnesota, NOT here in Illinois as a lot of us had hoped. More surprising still, was that his last day with the studio we've always danced at would be Friday. That's not much time to prepare a proper farewell, let me tell you!

Upon receiving the initial news, I was in a bit of shock... unfortunately I was probably not as warm and excited for RT as he was hoping, but then I always go into a bit of an emotional shut down when I receive big news. I assured him that I was happy for him and that it was going to take a second for the news to sink in. Shortly after the news had sunk in, and I was able to regain composure, I remembered about the one lesson I had saved for a rainy day... I immediately called KIT to have it scheduled. There was NO WAY RT was gonna get out of the studio with out one more lesson with me!

That Lesson was Wednesday, I had thought about trying to schedule the lesson to be on Friday...trying to be the last lesson he would teach on that dance floor...but it didn't seem fitting. A Wednesday lesson was better, we started dancing on a Wednesday 3.5 years ago... it was only fitting that we end on that day of the week as well.

I walked in for my lesson, I had Holiday baked goods for the whole studio...and Holiday cards for RT and Largo, all of which I set out and changed into my practice skirt, new ballroom shoes, and a t-shirt of my own design. My mission was to have this lesson be fun, and a little memerable... I had heard of other students crying, and while I did cry a LOT for how much I would miss RT, I was determined to not be one of the students he sent off in tears, he didn't need that.. he needed his students to be happy for his decision... and I was gonna be just that! RT picked me up for my lesson, and thankfully... I didn't feel like crying! :-) RT wanted, perhaps needed, this to be a happy occasion...and so I'm glad I was able to oblige.

"Hi Kat, let's go." RT said as he picked me up and pulled me to the dance floor.

"Hi, I want to do every dance you've ever taught me all in this lesson!" I replied.

"Ok, then that's the plan," he listened to the music playing "lets start with your favorite." We took up frame to Waltz.

Most of the smooth dances were spent talking or what have you, we chatted about this blog, about my future plans for it, about whether or not I'd be staying at the studio. It was kinda nice to just dance and chat... two of my favorite things to do with RT.

Each time at the music machine was my turn for questions, what's his plan for teaching, what's his plan for competing, and anything else I could think of asking about regarding his move and future.

We roared through all the dances he's ever taught me... see, what most people don't realize or remember is that for the VAST majority of my 3.5 years of dancing... probably at least 2 solid years if you put the time together... it was just me and RT... I didn't have another pro as the Fred Astaire teaching method suggests... it just never worked out that way until Largo hit the scene just over a year ago. So RT has actually been the one to teach me the foundations in ALL the dances. It was a busy lesson!!!

Here is what I call the fast forward version.... cuz while we did them all, Waltz, Fox Trot, Tango, Cha Cha, Rumba, West Coast Swing, East Coast Swing, Hustle, Bolero, SALSA... (not in that order) there were really only a few that are worth noting.

Cha Cha - started out as a normal Cha, then suddenly I was being lead through my routine... which I think neither of us were on point enough to remember, but it was fun that we tried.

Rumba - We did two, one where some finer points were brought up for my wrist (I bend it or "break it" at in opportune times, so I'm working on keeping it straight) and the second was quite connected almost really good.

West Coast Swing - Again, the dance I do about 4 times a year... I was asked if I do a particular step, I said I'd only done it if he'd lead me through it. He asked if I danced it with Largo ever, I told him no, and probably wouldn't for a while, because RT has a particular lead that I quite enjoy for that dance...and no one I've tried to dance it with yet quite measures up. RT said he was flattered. :-)

East Coast Swing - Only notable because we almost made it through without it, and RT suggested dancing it at the party (Friday), where I responded that our LAST and FINAL dance had to be a Salsa. I was met with RT trying to tell me that he knows Friday won't be the last time we ever dance. Which I found adorable, but only time will tell.

Bolero- This was actually at RT's request... I don't consider Bolero a dance I know, I've just been lucky enough to follow it a few times, but hey if he wanted to Bolero with me... I'm not gonna say no. What ended up happening was kind of a mix of Bolero and International Rumba... and it probably looked a little messy because I don't know either very well...BUT... this had to be one of the most connected dances I've ever danced with him! Oh YAY! That's exactly what I wanted out of this lesson... at least one or two moments of DANCING!!! We danced the whole song, and while I made a few mistakes, was able to recover and it was GOOD. I'm pretty sure he was on the same page as me with the connection and performance side of things... I could have danced that Bolero forever.

Salsa - We did three, all pretty good, and exactly what Salsa is supposed to be... fun flirty and all that... the first, unfortunately I stepped squarely on his toe with my heel...something I've NEVER done before! (I had wanted RT to remember me, but not for that!!!) Thankfully he ended up being ok... One Salsa was pretty connected, I think it was the one after the Bolero, which is nice... I was put through and failed again on the "Miami Special" I will now have the words "You have more time than you think" running through my head should I ever do that move again. Also, RT lead me into a few steps he considers his "trademark" when out dancing. Very nice, he'd never actually lead me in at least one of them before.

After the lesson, KIT came over to take a few quick snaps of us. I was proud of myself for not showing too much emotion other than being happy for RT. I hugged him, told him I'd see him on Friday, and got to my car... and cried the whole way home. (I'm such a wuss!)

Between Wednesday and Friday I prepared the picture from our last lesson in a frame, wrote a nice card and letter expressing my pride and gratitude, and presented it to RT before Friday. I figured Friday was going to be an emotional day, and I didn't want to get caught up in it. RT knows I am happy for him and proud of him and I didn't need to make a big public display about it.

Friday came around and there was the studio party... RT was dancing with EVERYONE... it was the last party of the year too, so that made the party special in it's own right. I was completely Zen the whole night, didn't cry during the party...didn't cry during the Cha Cha or Hustle that I got in with my pro (although the lingering thought of why we didn't Salsa remains). Actually the Cha Cha had it's moments of both being rough and being connected... so that wasn't too bad. The Hustle was at the end of the party and it was just a Hustle between two people that have danced together a while. KIT had put together a photo album for RT filled with pictures of all the various parties and events, it was very sweet. I was given the opportunity to see it and I am so honored that she thought to put a page with pics of he and I... simply labeled "RT."

Once the party was over, I calmly waited for most to have their emotional goodbyes... I still didn't want to cry... I wanted to be the one student he didn't send away in tears..that could express nothing but happiness for his new adventure, because that is honestly what I was feeling. I asked him for one last hug, and told him I wanted to hear good things in the future... then just kind of misted up for a second, and my feet took me off in a non-sensical direction. Well, that wasn't exactly what I wanted...but I said what I needed, I made sure to acknowledge that Friday was the end.

Then when wishing KIT a Happy Holiday a moment later... we both started totally crying. Sadly RT did see that, I was hoping to make it through without him ever having seen me cry... better in the last seconds then any other time at all.

So, I would like you as my readers to join me in wishing RT all the best as he ventures forth on this new journey of professional dancing in Minnesota. I for one am nothing but proud and happy to have worked with him for so long.. and he knows it. I'll see him on the competition floor with his new partner in the future... and I'll be sure to keep you updated on how he's doing when I do.

One Chapter has ended, and now.. it's time to find out how this new Chapter begins....

To RT:
I have nothing but fond memories of the journey we've shared, and pride and hope for your bright future! Thank you for teaching me to dance, supporting me in weight loss, and inspiring me to be a better person.

You said it best last week "It's all about the dancing," we'll both continue on our paths I'm sure, and hope that they cross again in the future.

Happy Dancing!
Kat

Video of the Week... Tony Dovolani!

Video of the week this week is happening on Monday...why? Because my all time favorite celebrity dancer is coming into the Fred Astaire Buffalo Grove studio!!! Tony Dovolani! YAY!!! As sad as I am that I will not be able to work with him this time, you better believe that I'm gonna be in that studio!

I present to you, two of the America's Ballroom Challenge (Ohio Star Ball) Showdance routines Tony did with his long time partner Elena Grinenko. They won the American Rhythm Division several times, and have since retired from competitive dancing, but you can usually catch both Tony and Elena on Dancing With the Stars!

You'll be hard pressed to find any pair of ballroom dancers that move better than these two! In my experience Tony always has constructive things to say and can make you seriously WORK... without feeling bad about getting stuff wrong... Someday... SOMEDAY I'll be able to get a coaching with him again!

Enjoy!

Lesson with RT... Working my Way Out of Oblivion

Yeah you read that title right... I had a LESSON!!! The timing of the whole thing was just too uncanny....



Shortly after my last post about my gym now being steps away from the dance studio.... I will admit to having gone to the gym without actually going to the dance studio... the shame of where I could have possibly let my self go to was too great... Two days after that post I received a call from RT... (who never ordinarily calls). The phone rang out, and I saw the number to the studio...I decided at the last second to answer it instead of letting it go to voice mail. The end result was a scheduled lesson!



Between phone call and lesson time I did think of rescheduling a few times... I didn't want anyone to notice how truly bad I was, or for RT to notice how out of shape I'd allowed myself to become! Of course the logical train of thought is that if I didn't go back in for my lesson to see exactly where I was at then how would I even know how bad I've become... of course... I didn't have THAT thought... depression isn't exactly something that allows for logical thinking... my thought was ok.. if fate is gonna lead me here... then I'm going to go.

I've written this lesson out twice now.. and it turned into nothing short of a novel. So, in an effort to keep things at a readable length I'll do this a third time. :-)

I ended up being late, sad I know, and probably only the second or third time in my dancing life I'd ever been behind. Again, depression is a bad bedfellow. I apologized and we commenced our lesson.... Blissfully not as technique filled as I was dreading.

We opened with swing, West Coast (of all things) and East Coast... thankfully I remember both... especially West Coast, as I'm sure you all have noticed.. I dance it about 4 times a year... and still to this day, can only follow RT in it. East Coast fared a bit better... while my feet absolutely know where they're going.. I feel, sadly, that a lot of my technical finer points have left me. As have ankle strength in my right side, and any semblance of arm styling.

We moved on to Salsa (I was waiting for it to show up!) which was better, but not great... despite RT's "Wow" comment to a lead I followed that I have in fact missed in the past. Salsa will always and forever be "my" dance with RT... can't have a better time at it with any other lead.

Then came Rumba... I can't tell you how surprised I was at how much I missed it... actually (and if RT hears this he'll be more shocked than you'd imagine) the technique of it all....getting the hip to settle at the right moment, staying on the inside edges... dang it all... I think I might be a dancer for wanting all that! Not that I actually did it all okay mind you. I need to come back a bit more and stronger before I actually have it back... but I do miss it!

The second Rumba we did was worth noting...not because I did exceptionally well at it.. but because of the song that RT chose... it was actually a Bachata. One I've heard several times... and yes you can Rumba to a Bachata... the funniest part is... The song just made me smile... like a real smile, I don't find myself doing that often these days... Only I'm not sure if it's because I have history with this song, or because I know the artist...could possibly be both, within the first two measures... I was smiling, before we even took the floor to dance to it. Sadly the song didn't last long, but it did prompt a brief break down of one of the later Rumba steps I had learned WAAAAAY back when I was actually taking lessons regularly.

At first.. the idea of breaking something down and learning it again had my devastated... I do believe my hands went over my face and I muttered something like "Oh dear Lord no..not today." which was then promptly discarded as a plausible response to RT's teaching... and we moved forward to learning it.

Thankfully after the two swing styles that left me feeling completely fat and like the worst student to ever have graced the floor with RT, the Salsa and Rumba portions were quite nice. I did have the opportunity to inform RT of my new gym membership and the fact that I was feeling really bad lately.... which was just taken and accepted, and we moved on... which is exactly what I needed. There was nothing he could have said to make me any better... just the dancing was enough.

At the very end of the lesson, RT tried to schedule me for one more... I have one more solitary lonely lesson. It has to be with Largo of course....but I wasn't ready to schedule it just yet. So I declined scheduling... and told RT I had to immediately go to the gym. As if on Que HFC walked up (this is amusing) and asked if I was going to stay for her technique class. As I was calmly stating to her "No, but thank you I have to go to the gym." RT, completely out of character for him, snaps at HFC, boldly and simply stating that I had someplace else to be. Clearly my going through another round of cardio is more important to both of us, although perhaps in that moment, a bit more important to him than me. :-)

We left my final reserved lesson unscheduled and I went off to the gym, thinking the whole time about how uncanny timing can be, and how I still need work to come back to where I was, but I don't think I completely embarrassed myself in that lesson.... Also, the thought of my liking Rumba technique and how still after all this time and lessons how I want desperately to be considered a good dancer kept running around in my brain (which then made me work harder on the cardio equipment), life is just crazy, and fate... is my friend.

This whole gym being right by dance studio thing could really work out as soon as I have my schedule set for the winter, and I have GOT to, simply GOT to make it into the dance studio more often.

New Fall and Winter Dietary Suggestion... Tea!

I can't get enough of the stuff... I drink it all year round, mostly iced tea in the spring and summer, but in the fall and winter especially... Hot Tea is where it's at!

Here's the deal on tea... it has tons of flavor, if you don't like straight regular black tea, it comes in TONS of flavors, and...ta da! It has NO CALORIES. No calories is almost as good as the only food that actually burns more calories to eat than it actually contains... Celery.

Black Tea comes in flavors too.. a LOT of them, so it helps satisfy hunger pangs and makes you feel fuller, it helps with your daily intake of your water too. Now I know that there are some people who really dislike tea..but I think they just haven't given it a fair shake. Also tea is pretty inexpensive generally 20 tea bags come in a small box, and around where I live cost about two dollars and change.

So, if you're not a tea fan (yet) here are some suggestions to help make it more palatable:

Add Honey, not sugar...honey... serving size is about 1 tablespoon, and that's only 60 calories. Adding a touch of honey to a flavored tea, like my current favorite French Vanilla flavor, it opens up the flavor and cuts whatever bitterness might be there, but one tablespoon doesn't make it so overpoweringly sweet. Honey contains at least 15 nutrients whereas sugar has none. Honey is an aid to digestion when taken in the raw state due to its enzyme content while sugar interferes with digestion. Honey enters the bloodstream slowly, 2 calories per minute. Sugar enters quickly at 10 calories per minute, causing blood sugars to fluctuate rapidly and wildly. Sugar causes calcium leakage from bones, contributing to osteoporosis while honey does not. --Some pretty dang good arguments for honey instead of sugar right?

Currently I'm drinking a minimum of 3-8 ounce mugs of tea, usually at least one is decaf..but caffeine doesn't really effect me unless it's in mass doses, so it doesn't really matter. Also I have trained my pallet to appreciate unsweetened tea..but maybe one of those mugs will have my beloved Honey.

Another way to spruce up your tea flavor is adding a squeeze of lemon... this doesn't add enough calories to matter really and for regular black tea, or a complimentary flavor is really refreshing.

I also make my own iced tea all year round... I like it. I mix flavors, or make it plain..or will drink iced green tea.

Green tea is a whole other story..that I will fully admit to being an acquired taste..but has been proven to aid in speeding up metabolism...and has a greater number of antioxidants than black tea.

Now, if you can do it... I suggest loose leaf tea...there are stores popping up all around the country (and I know the European countries have had it readily available forever) the flavor is even more powerful there than the boxed kind and besides... making a pot of loose leaf tea is fun, and feels classy.

So this is my suggestion to you... if you're looking for something new to drink, maybe with honey make it a mid morning pick up... try tea... you'll be shocked and amazed by what your local grocery store has for selection. Buyer beware, I wouldn't buy the cheapest tea available..the flavor tends to be very weak, I'd buy a nice mid priced well known brand. If you're not sure what you'll like... pick up a variety pack and see what you may like.

What to Buy the Ballroom Dancer in Your Life?

.... A novelty item or shirt that professes their love of the sport..obviously! :-)

Don't forget with the Holiday Season upon us to check out what I've got in the Ballroom Is Life shop!

T-shirts, Sweatshirts, Mugs, Gym bags, Tote bags, and High end water bottles! More to come soon, items ship promptly and are good quality!

I can also move any design to any other product if you'd like... just ask!

Video of the Week, Standard vs Smooth

First up this week....the grand daddy of all ballroom styles... International Standard. I have yet to learn any of this style...but it was the first, is the oldest, and actually is the hardest to learn correctly. This is the style of ballroom I used to watch on PBS (Public Broadcasting) when I was a kid...long before any of the dance shows that are around now, they used to air these European world championships...the one below is from 2005.





Which style do you like better?

For comparison I have included the American Smooth style of this same dance the Viennese Waltz... As the style name suggests...it seems just us Americans use it...so if dancing around the world is what you are aiming for... stick with Standard. You'll notice the differences almost immediately I'm sure. Actually, the couple featured below are currently rising through the professional ranks as we speak and are certainly a couple to keep an eye on in the coming year.

All Signs Point to Dance...

Hi kids! It's been a rough couple of weeks in the unemployment camp, which makes it harder to motivate for everything really. I do hope that all my American readers had a lovely Thanksgiving! Time to update you on what's been going on in my neck of the woods!

I really haven't popped my head in the studio but once in the last two, almost three weeks.

(you know it's bad when I walk in and RT just flat out asks me "What are you doing here?")Which is all my fault really... I just haven't been feeling up to much. As it is with most things this is a cycle, and I feel that it is coming to an end. (Thank goodness!) Right in the middle of my self imposed absence from the studio I was called with some really surprising news, an anonymous person decided to give me a BIG surprise holiday gift certificate to the studio! I was shocked and blown away by this! I still am! It reminded me of all that I've got at the studio, and while I haven't been back yet, really I did get my thank you note in for them. (That is of utmost importance after all!) I am very VERY grateful for this beam of light into my ballroom world! I took it as a sign, that I can't stop dancing... it seems every time it crosses my mind, just to myself, I haven't told anyone else, that I might not want to continue... something points me square back at dancing, it's unreal. Fate is really leaning hard on me to get back to dance!

As I said I still haven't really shown up to the studio yet... there is a lot of the old shame running around in my head, embarrassment too.. about what really honestly amounts to silly stuff... but that doesn't keep my head from magnifying it beyond measure. Until two days ago......

My membership to the gym lapsed, I let it.. I hated that gym and I didn't want to spend another dime there... not to mention that I didn't have anymore dimes. Anyway, I was going to go join the gym my sister belongs to, but it's out of my way, and anything out of my way is going to make it harder for me to go... then I noticed a new facility opening up a mere 6 blocks from my home. PERFECT! So I waited until I had the available money and went in to sign up, this gym isn't even built yet really, and it won't be finished until February or March... but they were offering a "pre construction" discount and monthly rate that nearly anyone can afford...including me. In the meantime though... since there isn't a gym there yet... I asked what I was supposed to do for my workouts. Well turns out there is another facility in the same chain I can go to for free (no monthly costs until the gym near my home opens). This facility that I'll be using in the meantime... guess where it is....no..come on... guess.... no guesses? Ok....

It's in the very same strip mall the studio I know and love is in!

So what it comes down to is... I was out of the studio, looking for a gym, which I don't like nearly as much as dancing, but need... one is going to be very near my home in the future...but in the meantime the only other place that I can work out on this great deal I got....is mere STEPS from the dance studio... the source of all my inspiration! Ok fate I get it... I need to work out AND get my butt back into the studio.. message received loud and clear already!

Here's the real kicker... if I decide to ignore the signs....bypass the studio and just go to this gym...what's the point in that??? The ONLY reason I even head in that direction anymore is because of the dance studio....why would I go to one and NOT the other? That would be unusually dense...even for me. Not only that...but fate seems to be sending me to my original studio in particular.... not just any studio... Fred Astaire Chicago North....

So, I'm working on kicking it back into gear.... I don't really have a choice here... I have really liked where fate has taken me over the last several years, and far be it from me to deny these big flashing neon signs that say I need to dance and continue down this path I started. It's still hard... the negative thoughts are still working against me, but I think I've found enough power to overrule them! Wish me luck! (again)