Wow, Best Weekend Ever!!
Friday, I booked it out of school as fast as I could, and I wish that I was able to go to happy hour with my co workers (damn! that's two in a row now!!), but what was on the other end of my loooong, traffic filled ride to West Hartford was so worth it!!!
Jenny had asked me to come to her dance studio for a dance party they were throwing. What she didn't tell me was that her studio was a ballroom dance studio, and that her fiance is an instructor there! (I knew them both in college, if you recall that Jenny and I used to live together in Hilltop Apartments). She would be an instructor too if there was room on staff. Anyway, totally pleasant surprise! I learned the basics of waltz and rumba ,a bit of swing and tango, and brushed up on my salsa, cha cha and meringue. IT WAS SO FUN!! I've always wanted to learn legit ballroom dance! And one of the instructors said that I was very good, and was surprised that I'd never done it before.
We went out to Cheesecake Factory afterwards for more fun. Tina was there!! It was fantastic!! And when we got back to Jon and Jenny's apartment that night, we talked until 3am, making jokes and having fun. It was so nice to catch up. :) (And, they have the most amazing air mattress ever...)
The next day - Ren Faire!! I had only been before on a field trip with urban high-schoolers as a chaperone. It was fun to just go with some nerdy friends this time around! And one of the instructors from the dance studio sold roses at the faire in character costume. :) It was super hot outside, and the character interactions were great. For some reason, they left Jon and Jenny alone, though, and kept picking on me! I bought a silver ring with a green stone, and after some walking around and taking in some entertainment, we bought turkey legs for lunch and sat down under the "tavern" tent. There was a band playing - The Lost Boys - and as we were eating, the lead singer ("String", apparently, according to the website), came over to me and said something like, "Excuse me, fair maiden. That looks to be a fine turkey leg you have there. If you don't mind my interrupting your lunch, would you join me on stage?" And put a string of oversized Mardi Gras beads over my head.
What could I say? Nothing, apparently. Jenny just screamed, "GO MICHELE!"
"Michele? Is that your name?" I nodded. I could feel a piece of turkey stuck to my front teeth and discreetly rubbed it off while climbing the ramp to the stage. Oh, boy.
They sang a song called "On the Mystic Caravan", and had me and three other people on stage with them dancing and singing the chorus with the band. Then, at the end of the song, he took me by the hand again, pulled me to the front of the stage, got down on one knee to finish the song, then pulled me down on his lap and held me around the waist so I couldn't go anywhere! Then, right before he sang the last words to the song, he turned around to me and whispered, "Spirit Hands!!!" And thus, the song ended spectacularly.
Then, as we walked around afterward, we were stopped by the "towne sheriff". "Didn't you see the stop sign?" he asked. "What stop sign?" Jon was foolish enough to ask. I knew better, having met this guy the last time I was at the Ren Faire. We turned around to see a miniature wooden stop sign in the middle of the path next to us. I decided, well hell, he's closest to me anyway and talking to me.
"But we did stop!"
"Yes, AFTER the sign!!" He whipped out a ticket book. "For failure to stop at a stop sign..." I smirked. "Disturbing the peace and annoying a public official..." I laughed. "And for exCESSive jubilation!!" A flourish and a rip, and I was left holding the funniest ticket I'd ever seen!
Finally, after more wandering and watching, we went back to one particular stand where Jon bought Jenny, his mom and I feather roses - so pretty! He's a doll. :)
That night, Jenny and I watched Camp Rock (we're Disney channel nerds - it's always more fun to watch those things with her, she's the one who introduced me to HSM), and went out for sushi. :) The next day, we watched Camp Rock 2, and I hit the road toward UConn.
Next stop - back to Vernon to see Michelle and Harry! I stopped for a couple of hours and made a super-cute classroom helpers chart with Michelle's help. Again, it was super awesome to catch up. I feel like since we all started out jobs in the past year or so, it's been a lot harder to keep in touch. But it was so nice to see them, and they're doing well.
Then, it was off to UConn for a choir reunion! The St. Tom's alumni were singing for the mass of the Holy Spirit (blessed all teachers and students! Yay!) So, not only did I get to sing my heart out again, I got to see all my choir friends again, and MAUREEN AND ALAN came!! YAY!!! And Mama Firman was there! And there was ice cream in the Aquinas center afterwards!!
How could my weekend have possibly gotten any better? :)
Jenny had asked me to come to her dance studio for a dance party they were throwing. What she didn't tell me was that her studio was a ballroom dance studio, and that her fiance is an instructor there! (I knew them both in college, if you recall that Jenny and I used to live together in Hilltop Apartments). She would be an instructor too if there was room on staff. Anyway, totally pleasant surprise! I learned the basics of waltz and rumba ,a bit of swing and tango, and brushed up on my salsa, cha cha and meringue. IT WAS SO FUN!! I've always wanted to learn legit ballroom dance! And one of the instructors said that I was very good, and was surprised that I'd never done it before.
We went out to Cheesecake Factory afterwards for more fun. Tina was there!! It was fantastic!! And when we got back to Jon and Jenny's apartment that night, we talked until 3am, making jokes and having fun. It was so nice to catch up. :) (And, they have the most amazing air mattress ever...)
The next day - Ren Faire!! I had only been before on a field trip with urban high-schoolers as a chaperone. It was fun to just go with some nerdy friends this time around! And one of the instructors from the dance studio sold roses at the faire in character costume. :) It was super hot outside, and the character interactions were great. For some reason, they left Jon and Jenny alone, though, and kept picking on me! I bought a silver ring with a green stone, and after some walking around and taking in some entertainment, we bought turkey legs for lunch and sat down under the "tavern" tent. There was a band playing - The Lost Boys - and as we were eating, the lead singer ("String", apparently, according to the website), came over to me and said something like, "Excuse me, fair maiden. That looks to be a fine turkey leg you have there. If you don't mind my interrupting your lunch, would you join me on stage?" And put a string of oversized Mardi Gras beads over my head.
What could I say? Nothing, apparently. Jenny just screamed, "GO MICHELE!"
"Michele? Is that your name?" I nodded. I could feel a piece of turkey stuck to my front teeth and discreetly rubbed it off while climbing the ramp to the stage. Oh, boy.
They sang a song called "On the Mystic Caravan", and had me and three other people on stage with them dancing and singing the chorus with the band. Then, at the end of the song, he took me by the hand again, pulled me to the front of the stage, got down on one knee to finish the song, then pulled me down on his lap and held me around the waist so I couldn't go anywhere! Then, right before he sang the last words to the song, he turned around to me and whispered, "Spirit Hands!!!" And thus, the song ended spectacularly.
Then, as we walked around afterward, we were stopped by the "towne sheriff". "Didn't you see the stop sign?" he asked. "What stop sign?" Jon was foolish enough to ask. I knew better, having met this guy the last time I was at the Ren Faire. We turned around to see a miniature wooden stop sign in the middle of the path next to us. I decided, well hell, he's closest to me anyway and talking to me.
"But we did stop!"
"Yes, AFTER the sign!!" He whipped out a ticket book. "For failure to stop at a stop sign..." I smirked. "Disturbing the peace and annoying a public official..." I laughed. "And for exCESSive jubilation!!" A flourish and a rip, and I was left holding the funniest ticket I'd ever seen!
Finally, after more wandering and watching, we went back to one particular stand where Jon bought Jenny, his mom and I feather roses - so pretty! He's a doll. :)
That night, Jenny and I watched Camp Rock (we're Disney channel nerds - it's always more fun to watch those things with her, she's the one who introduced me to HSM), and went out for sushi. :) The next day, we watched Camp Rock 2, and I hit the road toward UConn.
Next stop - back to Vernon to see Michelle and Harry! I stopped for a couple of hours and made a super-cute classroom helpers chart with Michelle's help. Again, it was super awesome to catch up. I feel like since we all started out jobs in the past year or so, it's been a lot harder to keep in touch. But it was so nice to see them, and they're doing well.
Then, it was off to UConn for a choir reunion! The St. Tom's alumni were singing for the mass of the Holy Spirit (blessed all teachers and students! Yay!) So, not only did I get to sing my heart out again, I got to see all my choir friends again, and MAUREEN AND ALAN came!! YAY!!! And Mama Firman was there! And there was ice cream in the Aquinas center afterwards!!
How could my weekend have possibly gotten any better? :)