Triangle Open, Weekend et al.

It looks like I'm going to be having 4 partners for Triangle Open. What does this make me? And the events I'm going to be dancing in are as follows (I MIGHT be doing mixed proficiency with D too), all in the Newcomer category:

- International Waltz (Partner #1)
- International Tango (Partner #2)
- International Rumba (Partner #3)
- International Chachacha (Partner #3)

- American Waltz (Partner #2)
- American Foxtrot (Partner #2)
- American Swing (Partner #2)

- Mixed Proficiency Waltz? (Partner #4)
- Mixed Proficiency Chachacha? (Partner #4)

This past weekend was one of the funnest I've had in a long time. D's best friend's birthday is the same day as mine, and we went over to his (the friend's) house Friday night for a little get-together involving lots of wings, a keg of Red Oak, Irish Car Bombs, cute babies, a chihuahua the size of the bowl of oatmeal I ate for breakfast this morning, and high school yearbooks.

The women and the men separated into different rooms - ladies in the living room, gentlemen (hah) in the kitchen. Everybody but myself in that room was either a grandma, pregnant, had just given birth, or was trying to get pregnant. Here I am, 26 years old, living a sort of happy-go-lucky, college-studentish lifestyle, blithely ignorant of all things marriage- and baby-related. Hell, I've never held a baby before last summer, when D's friend and his wife had their first son and we visited them at the hospital. The stories and recountings, which featured Extreme Flatulence (it's like a sport or something), pain, blood, morning sickness, moodiness, and labor horror, were like an ice cold shower of alien/familiar concepts. One minute I'm sipping some Coke in a rather cute living room, and the next, I'm transported through space and time, and find myself a link in a primeval circle of women conversing around the fire, each one taking her turn at imparting her experiences to the ignorant, passing information from mother to mother. I felt like an outsider. I was one of the older girls there (apart from the grannies) - in fact, I think I was THE oldest of the girls, and THE most naive.

I knew Saturday was going to be pretty nice when I woke up late and opened the front door, and was greeted with warm sunshine, singing birds, and enthusiastic Mexicans blasting reggaeton from their car windows. I was at work Friday when the mailman attempted to deliver my dance shoes, so I headed over to the post office to pick them up. Alas, the mailman had already taken the package out to attempt delivery, so I raced back to my apartment and beat him there by two minutes... And my shoes fit PERFECTLY, both pairs (one standard, one Latin).

D and I then headed over to Autopark Honda, where we poked around awhile and eventually test drove an '06 Civic coupe, which is what D will be getting, in white. Yes, we will have matching white Honda Civic coupes, aww, so cute. Gag. After determining that yes, this car is indeed what D wants, we headed over to my parents and washed MY little 5-speed Civic, hung out for awhile with Natty, Pepper, Lovely and Roony, before having to rush home to make our 7 o'clock reservations at Shaba Shabu. They had a DNB DJ in the lounge, and I think I about gave him an aneurysm when I requested Klute. Sushi and curry and other fantastic delectables were enjoyed by all, and we retired afterwards to have presents and coffee and a nice alternative to birthday cake - birthday Krispy Kreme doughnuts! I received from Natty & Pepper an exquisite black oriental table with flowers painted on it, and from my parents, a set of teak chairs from Pottery Barn. My parents also bought me a glass suspension style candle sconce, about 1.5 ft. high and 8 inches across, with bubbles blown into the glass that will catch the candlelight. This present was actually for Jessy, so I can light a candle without worrying about him turning into a flaming pyre of catmeat. After, we all went to Mitch's, met old highschool friends, and talked until 2 or so, over cheddar & crackers and various preferred beverages.

Sunday was a relaxing day of shopping, coffee, and socializing. We ported my presents back to my apartment, and spent several hours at my parents house. I really wanted to start watching the Star Wars series in chronological order (by release date), but it was too late when we got home. I had to go to bed, but not before arranging all of my new stuff in my apartment, which is getting more eccentric with each passing month. The kitchen looks like it came from an elderly middle-class French lady's townhouse; the bedroom has a minimalist Japanese-shaker slant; and the living room is just weird.

Jessy gets his stitches out today.