Cue Please ;)

Was the email Re: in my inbox this morning.

Here's the email:

Hi M.. just wanted to let you know that last night that woman with the curly hair who used to be a fitness instructor was in my class. I'm cueing like normal explaining all the moves, then started to tell a little story about my trip last week, and she yelled out "CUE PLEASE!!"

I wanted to smack her! Just wanted you to know that you weren't alone ;)

Have a good day!

Happy Anniversary

Today is my three year Jazzerversary! I cannot believe it's been THREE YEARS now! Whoa. I celebrated by passing my annual monitoring last night. Go me.

Cue Me, Cue Me

All of you know that I am a Jazzercise instructor. It is sometimes overwhelming but I love it. When I was living in VT and teaching 7x/week, I learned ALL of the new songs and had new sets every week for each time slot. Preparing for classes was where I probably focused 75% of my energy.

When I moved to CT and was in graduate school full time...well...I didn't have the time, energy or brainpower to put that much effort into class. I still taught a great class and learned new songs but I just didn't put as much effort into it as I used to. As a perfectionist and total Type A, this really bothered me but there was really nothing that I could do.

Since graduate school is over I've been getting back into the Jazz swing and I've felt great about it! However, Thursday evening's class almost set me back a ways. I was in the middle of a medium-heavy routine close to the top of the aerobic curve and one of the moves requires turning around the room to face each wall. As we all came back to face one another a woman started yelling from the back, "CUE ME! CUE ME! YOU'RE NOT CUE-ING ENOUGH! CUE ME! I CAN'T FOLLOW YOU!"

Screaming. From the back of the room.

Now, our average customer wouldn't necessarily know what "cue" meant or know that's what we do up there, but this particular customer is a former aerobics instructor.

Who apparently felt it was her right to critique my style from the back of the room.

I couldn't believe it. I know that all customers have a favorite instructor(s) and the reality is, we all have different styles but we're ALL VERY GOOD instructors. I couldn't believe that as someone who formerly taught aerobics she thought it would be appropriate to disrupt a class that way.

It's rude and unnecessary and I didn't appreciate it.

When you're paying for something like a gym membership or personal training I understand that you want to get the most for you money. I do too. It's easy to loose sight though, of the fact that the people in "charge" or on stage are normal people with families, feelings and goals.

I don't make a TON of money teaching Jazzercise, in fact, I make just enough to cover my Jazzercise expenses. It doesn't pay my bills. I have a day job. I teach because I love it and because I love (most of) my customers.

There will always be someone who doesn't appreciate everything I do and I try to push those instances from my mind, but when I work hard to put a set together over the weekend and show up ready to teach a rockin' class, it really blows when someone does something like that.

Next time I've got the mic on stage I think I'll spend a little time cue-ing good manners and appropriate behavior as well.

Day 2- - The Shred

I set out for an 8-9 mile run last night, made it .75miles down the road and had to stop. I was exhausted. That really *never* happens to me so I figured I should listen to my body and head home. I took the long way home so I ended up walking 2 miles then stretched for a while. I think my body needed some rest.

I did want to start the Shred though so I popped that into the dvd player and got started. From everything I read about it, I was expecting a fitness nazi (Jillian) to be screaming the whole time, but the dvd was much cooler and toned-down that I expected. I figured that since I'm in pretty good shape I might to start on level 2 or 3 but decided that I was just going to start at 1 and take it from there.

The dvd is challenging, that's for sure and it gets your heartrate up. In 20 minutes I burned about 110 calories which is just average, but that was okay with me. I'm glad I started at level 1 becuase I couldn't complete each movement perfectly without getting tired. I figured I'll stay at this level until I can complete each section successfully. The cardio or ab parts isn't hard for me at all and I actually jump to the next move before they do, but the pushups and lateral lunges could use some (serious) work. It is quick though and was over before I knew it.

I woke up at 6 this morning (I went to bed at 8pm last night...) and wanted to make sure I got in day 2 of the Shred so I got right to it and did that before I headed to Jazz for PT and double classes. I'm a glutton for punishment, what can I say?!?

Tomorrow I'm running in a 5k and as much I would like to do the Shred before I go (just so it's over with) I think I might wait until after to make sure that my body is feeling good for the race.

May is National Fitness Month and to celebrate our jazz center came up with a May Fitness Challenge that I'm inviting all of you to participate in too- - it's very doable. All you have to do is:

For each of the days left in May (30) complete 1 set of each of the following:
30 crunches
30 pushups
plank for 30 seconds
v-sit for 30 seconds

That's it! It will take probably 3 minutes total and you'll feel GREAT about yourself! I challenge (and encourage) you to start today!

Also- - I watched Made of Honor (Patrick Dempsey) for the first time last night. SO funny. Rent it if you haven't seen it yet!

Anniversaries

Today is my two year Jazzercise anniversary. It's kind of crazy how some days it feels like I've been doing it FOREVER when really it's only been two years. Wow...

Happy President's Day to those of you who have the day off. I am certainly enjoying mine. I had a very quiet weekend and, for the first time in YEARS, didn't even notice that it was Valentine's Day on Saturday. For so many years I have either had a boyfriend or worked at a place that made it IMPOSSIBLE to forget that it's always been kind of a big deal. This year? Was exactly what I needed. I went to double jazz classes in the morning, came home did homework all day, watched a movie and went to bed. It was fantastic.

Friday morning I woke up to find a package on the front step from home. I couldn't imagine what it was (I actually thought my parents had sent me groceries... they do that sometimes). :) What was inside was even better. A note in my Dad's scrawl- - Happy Valentine's Day- - and Mama Mia on dvd. He and my mom had watched it recently and totally loved it, so he sent it to each of my sisters and I for Valentine's Day. It was such a nice surprise. :)

So far I've spent the day cleaning my bathroom and grocery shopping...having long weekends totally rocks.

Uh-Oh... Yogurt

We had a delay this morning. I'm not quite sure why, because the roads are fine, but I'll take it! I came into school early to get some work done and eat breakfast. I eat breakfast every day at work, I know that probably sounds weird, but it's easier than eating at home before I come. So, I'm spooning the yogurt out of the container and into my bowl when I fling it all over my pants. Now i have this crusty gross spot of yogurt on my pants. I am not happy about this.

I can't believe it's Thursday already! I guess snowdays are good for that. :) My sisters are flying in tonight and will be here around 7:30pm. One will stay in the city with her boyfriend but the other will be out in the 'burbs with me for the weekend! I'm really looking forward to it. And? With the snow day yesterday I was able to get most of my grad work done for the week so I can really relax.

Also, I think I'm getting monitored at Jazz tonight. I don't know for sure, but I have a GREAT big sneaking suspicion.

We'll see!

I Did It

Did I tell you guys that I decided to move to house with the dog? Well, I did. It was a tough decision, but in the end I figured walking one dog, twice a day was easier than watching 3 kids for 15-20 hours/week. My first walk was Sunday night and it's been going well since then.

I wasn't supposed to move until October 15th but the new lady asked if I could come sooner so I packed up my car last Friday afternoon and moved most of my stuff over Saturday morning after I taught a jazz class. Friday afternoon was ridiculous, I felt like I was Rocky running up and down three flights of stairs to get all of my stuff out to my car- - really, I was carrying nightstands, tables, bags, clothes and a desk. I got everything packed up sooner than I was anticipating so I called "New Lady" and asked if I could run over quickly to unload some things. She. Said. No. Can you believe it? Here I was, agreeing to move in a week and a half earlier than I anticipated and she just said NO!!!! I was pissed to the point of tears and had a minor meltdown but sucked it up and mentally prepared myself to move Saturday.

Saturday comes along and I've got a bad headache from too much gin Friday night and have to teach jazz but I head over to the new house right after and unload my whole car. Into the hallway. That's right, my space wasn't "availabe" for me to move into so I just had to leave my stuff in the hallway. I was all, omigod, WTF, but I smiled and headed out to my car to get the second load of stuff. I turned the key and...nothing. I tried again. Silence. My car battery died. In. Their. DRIVEWAY. I was really ready to have another meltdown but I got the car jumped and headed to a local mechanic to test the battery. They said I needed a new one (I'm not totally convinced I did, but I was standing around in my Jazz spandex so I wasn't interested in getting into an argument) so I dropped $200 for a new battery. Totally depressing.

After I got the second load of stuff dropped off I headed to the old house to shower and get the last few things that I had before I headed North (well, East really, but here in CT they're all directionally challenged) to my Jazzercise conference. I met a few of my favorite VT instructors at one of their sister's house and we had the BEST time. It was the first time since I moved down here that I was able to just. sit. down. And relax. And have (somewhat) of adult conversations. We ordered pizza, we drank wine, we laughed, we lamented. It was perfect and EXACTLY what I needed after Friday/Saturday.

I spent all day Sunday at jazz (and took a KICK-BUTT class) then headed back to Fairfield County to move all of my stuff into my room. I'm almost all settled and feeling good about everything but I'm heading home tomorrow for the long weekend (we celebrate every Jewish Holiday 'round here) and I cannot wait. It will be four days of not tying shoes, zipping backpacks, planning lessons and family-style lunches. Four days of not babysitting, dog-walking and dishwasher unloading. My heart is beating faster at the thought of it.

Not to mention, my friends will be around, we've got happy hour planned and my favorite bar is calling my name. One day to go and I'm Homeward Bound. :)

CT Jazz

I taught my first CT Jazzercise class last night! It. Was. Awesome. I was only subbing (I haven't found time for a regular schedule yet) but the class was FULL. I did my favorite songs and was super-upbeat. I came out of class on such a high. I miss teaching all of the time.

I went to bed at nine last night trying to combat this ridiculous sickness I've fallen to, but that only prompted a night of ridiculous dreams. Like... my friend leaving me at my house to drive off with my boyfriend- - in the dream- - in a red Porshe. And me walking into a haircutting place that accepted walk-ins and having the crew of 5 women sitting on a couch watching soap operas, crying then just walking up to me and cutting off 8 inches of my hair- - dry.

Totally weird.

All I Wanna Do, o, o, oooo

I am totally in love with that new Sugarland song- - All I Wanna Do- - listen to it!

I got monitored on Monday night for Jazz. I've been waiting for it to happen since February and it had to be done by the end of the month, so, when I arrived at class there she was- - waiting for me.

I taught an awesome class and the students knew how important it was so they really made me look good and cheered a lot. The monitor was extremely positive and said that she was impressed but my score was lower than I would have hoped (or expected really...). Oh well, I'm trying to just forget about it and move on.

It's a beautiful day here in VT (not supposed to last for long) and I've been up for hours already enjoying it. Here's to a happy Wednesday!

Decisions

My youngest two sisters are seniors in high school this year (they're not twins, 13 months apart, one is graduating early) and they've both been busy applying to colleges. In the beginning, the plan was for them to go to my alma mater which is also where sister #2 goes. We never really discussed it- - it was just kind of going to happen. I, obviously, was very excited about this! Well, they both changed their minds and decided that they wanted to go somewhere else without each other...fine. Yesterday though, they both got acceptance letters from my former school and, well, now I want them to re-think! Too bad I don't have a say in this... :)

Tonight I'm getting monitored for Jazz. I have my outfit and set all picked out, but it's still REALLY stressful! :)

(been on three dates with blind date #2...more to come)

Down the Curve

It was (slightly) light outside when I walked out of my Jazz class at 7:00 a.m. We're coming down the curve, thank god.

The FIT

I work out. All. of. the time. I've always been that way so there's really no other explanation. I'm not totally obessessed with "the skinny". I just really like it. Jazzercise takes up most of my exercise time but it's a lot of work to always be responsible for someone else's fitness, you know? All of the, "Is your core tight?" "Are you squeezing your buns?" "Remember to BREATHE!" So, I decided that I would make someone else be responsible for my fitness and would take my workouts up a notch. I got a personal trainer.

We had our first meeting yesterday and it was-- PERSONAL. (Go figure.) He took all of my measurements and did the pinch test. Notsofun. :) I'm excited to see where this goes...

The Weekend

was great! It was quiet and relaxing everything that my weekends haven't been in a really long time. Saturday night my friend invited me and my sisters over for dinner. My sisters had to babysit so they met us later and it was so fun. I've always been really bad at having "girlfriends" in real life (in my blogging life it's much easier) so I was nervous when I started hanging out with her because sometimes girls are just. too. much. She is super-great though and completely easygoing and we actually have a lot in common which keeps it interesting. And she doesn't seem to mind that my family is totally crazy and around all. of. the. time.

ANYWAY! She too, is a Jazzercise instructor at the center that I teach at so Saturday night we were just hanging out, eating, watching tv, visiting... when we started talking about YouTube. We showed her some of the funnier videos we've seen lately ("Charlie bit my finger' and "Monster gon' kick my a$$") when I divulged the secret that I know the entire "Crank That" (Soulja Boy) dance. (Really.) Well, being a dance major in college and a current Jazzercise instructor she didn't want to be left out. So... we spent the remainder of the night learning the dance and practicing it.

Yea, um, I've been out of middle school for 10 years but sometimes, it's fun to go back.

Hypothetically Speaking...

Okay. Let's say you have a job that's not your "real" job. It's a second/part time thing that you enjoy. Currently at this job, you make $x. Now, your employer is readjusting their budget and they would like to pay you anywhere from 39-93% LESS than you're currently being paid depending on their revenue for the month.

What would YOU do?

(if this is too vague I'd be happy to be a little more detailed.)

P.S. Happy Birthday to my wonderful boyfriend. :)

Halloween...

Better late than never, here is me, teaching Jazz 0n Halloween! (Obviously used the costume from last year...)

WooHoo!

I love being a Red Sox fan. These late-night games are cutting into my sleeping time, but it is well worth it. There's something so fun about putting on all of your favorite Red Sox gear and hanging out in the family room watching the game. Rockies, watch out- - we're on a roll.

I hosted a tupperware party yesterday- - yes it's still around and no I don't remember turning 40- - kidding. It was really fun, any excuse to throw a party really can't be passed up even it's it's for plasticware.

I spent the evening last night helping my sisters with their college applications. I didn't have anyone to help me when I applied (actually, the week my application was due my parents were on a vacation and left me home watching my sisters) so they better appreciate all of this help! Applying to school is not exactly a task I was REALLY looking forward to completing again! All I can say now is that they BETTER get in, I have a personal stake in their applications after all. :)

I also did some serious shopping this weekend but got TONS of GREAT sale items. I couldn't find all of the pictures to post but I did get two new pair of shoes to show you. One for fun, and one for Jazzercise... check 'em out.

for fun...For Jazz... (I got the black, pink is next!)

Shout Out

First, to a new daily read:
MOLLY, I’ve read through all of your archives and I’m seriously addicted. I love that you’re in LOVE (!) and that you write about it.
If you guys haven’t read anything of Molly’s, check it out. You won’t be disappointed. (and she has a billion pair of SHOES!)
p.s. Molly? I’ve tried to comment and it never works, so I hope this doesn’t seem completely stalker-esque!

Second, to a long-time favorite:
Paige Jennifer, I’ve talked about you before because, well, you’re awesome. I’m talking about you today because your last comment cracked me up. Let it be known that YES I have a sense of humor (except when that person anonymously commented that having a Mexican boyfriend was NOT very preppy- - that’s just rude and without having any more information about him, quite presumptuous. Not to mention, that, um, SORRY! I don’t choose my boyfriend the same way I choose my accessories) and YES when I think about Jazzercise sometimes I too giggle. It must be the visions of scrunchy socks, spandex, thong-leotards, and big bangs. While that uniform is no longer required and Jazzercise is actually quite modern- - hey, we dance to Timbaland, Michael Buble, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake- - it is hard to shake the memory of the Call on Me video…

To everyone else: Leave comments. I love them. I actually REALLY LOVE them and it’s REALLY fun to read them. Unless they’re not nice, then just don’t comment because I take them very seriously and I feel like the last kid picked for the kick-ball team at recess. To clarify: Nice comments = VERY GOOD. Mean comments = what mean comments? (I’ll ignore and delete them- -hey, it’s a blogger’s prerogative.)

Some People

What a busy weekend! Lots of working (I won’t bore you with the details) and Sunday I had my first Jazzercise District Meeting in Connecticut. Having never been to one before, I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was really fun and informative (and gave me lots of fun ideas for the upcoming year!) Being in a car for 10 hours in one day with 5 other Jazzercise instructors though, is not something I want to do again any time soon.

I like my jazz co-workers, I really do, but it made for a LONG day! The owner of the center where I teach is very nice and we get along great but something happened this weekend that I really just can’t get over. She realized that she had forgotten her purse at home so I offered to buy her coffee on the way down- - not a problem. We get to CT and Jazzercise had many jazz clothes for sale and she wanted a new shirt. Not having her purse, she asked if I would pick it up for her- -not a problem. It was $24 and I was picking something up for myself as well. The meeting starts, we do a mock Junior Jazz class and a mock PT class (which I’m teaching for the first time next month!) then we sit down for the informational part. Our District Manager asked who had traveled more than 4 hours to get there. Well, everyone from VT had so we all got $20 gift cards to Jazzertogs (the Jazzercise clothing store). My Center Owner gets her gift card, hands it directly to me and says, “there! Now I only owe you $4! That works, right?” Ummmmm, NO. It doesn’t seem “right” to me that she would repay me with a gift certificate that she got FOR FREE to a store that I don’t even really shop at when I spent CASH for her shirt. Am I wrong here? I wanted to tell her no, but it was such an uncomfortable situation and there were 10 other people sitting at our table that she said it in front of. Now, I’m just not sure how to handle the whole thing, I feel taken advantage of and annoyed. It’s not that the $24 is a HUGE deal (but, hello? I don’t have a LARGE CASH FLOW) but it’s the principle- - do you guys think that’s wrong?

Starting in November I’ll be teaching a PT (Personal Touch) class at 6am on Wednesdays. I wasn’t sure how many people would be interested, because it costs money in addition to what customers pay for regular jazzercise, but the whole class is FULL after today!

Searching for Jazzercise?

To the person who found my blog searching for "Jazzercise Audition" if you have any questions about the certifcation, let me know. It's an overwhelming process!

Shower Time

My cousin's wife is having a baby (due October) and her baby shower is this weekend in MA so I'll be heading down there early tomorrow morning for a fun, baby-filled day. As part of the invitation it was requested that each guest bring a book to start a book collection for the new baby. What a great idea! Everyone has their favorite childhood book and I'm so excited to share mine with the new baby! (They don't like surprises so we already know that it's a boy and they're going to name in Gavin).

I thought it would be fun to share with all of you the books that my sisters and I chose to bring to Baby Gavin:

We read and read and re-read all of these books when we were younger, what are some of your favorite books?

I was complaining about my sisters last week and in an effort to be fair, I have another story to share:

I teach a 6am Jazzercise class two mornings a week which gives me a very short amount of time to get ready for work on those days. Yesterday, I came home from class and realized that I had left my ipod at the center which was a problem because I needed it to teach the noontime express class that same day at a different Center. I ran upstairs to jump in the shower figuring I would stop and get it on my way to work. When I came down Sister #3 was just pulling in the driveway (she had gone to the Center to retrieve my ipod) and Sister #4 was putting a small, brown lunch bag on the counter. She knew that I was rushing and made my lunch for me while I was getting ready.

They do have redeeming qualities. :)