So I haven't written here in over a year. And by over, I mean like, a week or two or three. But the year? Yeah, that still stands.

I'm trying to decide if I'm actually going to be able to update this. Ever. Like, will I be able to get off my butt - or get on my butt, since I'll be sitting somewhere to type it - and, let's say, once a week, write in this? There's only so much prattling about yourself and the absolute mundane that is your life one can do. Or maybe that's just my take on it. I don't really feel like my life is all that important that someone would want to read about it.

This does not bode well for when I am an accomplished writer and probably dead and someone has been saddled with the urge - nay need - to chronicle my life in biography that will later be turned into a biopic where I am portrayed by a dazzlingly adorable actress because no one has ever used an adjective that wasn't adorable or cute to describe me.

As it were, for those who are curious, my life thus far included a full time position at the school where I periodically cringe at how old/cool/young it makes me feel. It has included fun/bad/awkward times. It has recently included four weddings in the span of three months. And although that doesn't seem like much, I would like to let you know that the only reason it was three months is because there were no weddings in June. So really, if June didn't exist, my life for two straight months consisted of a wedding every other weekend. I kid you not. I got royally frustrated with buying shoes and dresses and gifts and just being single. Nothing makes you more moody and in want of romance than too many weddings. And nothing makes you feel more single than your grandmother turning to you and saying "I don't know why you haven't found your lover yet." Seriously. I thought stuff like that only happened in bad Lifetime movies....

That being said, I am once again on a dating site. Technically two, but I haven't been on the one for a long time really. I've been ignoring it for the slightly shinier newer one.

Speaking of dating, I'm in a funk. And I think it's because I don't really go out and meet new people. There are four major things that hamper this:

1. I don't like doing/going places by myself.
2. When my friends go out, they go to gay bars. I like gays, but it's getting old. And I'm tired of girls hitting on me. It's no longer flattering.
3. When my friends suggest dancing, if it isn't at the gay bars it's Latin dancing. Because they take lessons/teach it. I don't. I'm not very good. I don't like being that close to strangers. This, too, is getting old very quickly.
4. I'm not really all that great at getting over the initial stigma of strangers. What can I say? My parents did a good job at making me wary.

One very temporary issue with getting out is that my dog broke her hind leg and is consequently in a cast that won't come off till maybe August/September. I feel guilty not giving my parents a chance to be away from her....She's very needy right now. At least two of us have to be within eyesight at all times and by eyesight, I mean in the same damn room that she's been stuck in for weeks. Poor thing. I would hate to have a broken leg or anything that would impede my doing my thing. She is literally not allowed to do ANYTHING. No playing/jumping/running/going up-down stairs.....It sucks.

So I haven't been getting out. Which means I'm in desperate need for socialization.

I'm just gonna be trite and say my life sucks right now.

But oxymoronically I feel like I haven't been, either. Weird, right?

I helped a friend in the city with a filming project. It was a little weird not knowing anyone, but fun to get back into acting and I should probably update my site and make more of a use of it now that I've done something again. I made a new friend while on set which I think is pretty nifty. We occasionally text and apparently need to hang out again soon =)

The next day I went Salsa dancing for the second time.
I would like to take this time to state that I do not take lessons and that I'm just trying to pick it up by going out and....well, trying. It's a lot of fun.
I went with a few girlfriends and the first time I tried it this little old Latino man came over all cute in his newsboy hat and his red tie tucked into his brown vest and told me he was going to teach me what to do. He shuffled his feet to the steps and told me that all I had to do was follow the man; it was the man's job to make me look good. We found out later that this adorable little grandpa who was cutting a rug with every female on the dance floor was actually a gynecologist. It really shouldn't make the story weird. But it totally does. And the thing I like the most about these Salsa-parties is that you don't say no when someone asks you to dance. Unless you're sitting the entire song out. I just think that's a nice etiquette kind of rule, especially since this kind of dance party is for the love of the dance and those learning.
Anyway, the second night was in the city and this was way more hardcore than our little town's Salsa-party. The amount of people was drastically reduced but the quality of the dancing was much higher. I apologized to every man who asked me to dance in advance for my total lack of knowledge and everyone of them was very nice about my ignorance. I did notice a difference in leading style...one guy would be very clear with his cues, or would have a firm hand so to speak, another would just have these wimpy limp hands that made me feel uncomfortable. I don't know what it is, but if a guy has a weak touch I get a bad vibe....
One guy yelled at me for pivoting my spins/turns. For me, not doing a pivot turn was difficult because the last time I danced with turns involved was high school choir and those had to be done quickly.
Basically, salsa is a sexy dance that I am not very good at, lol.
And especially if you had seen this one Latino couple....Holy cheese and crackers! They were quite literally insanely good. I was totally jealous.

The next day was quality time with the city boyfriends. The girls and I hadn't seen them in at least two months so we talked the one into making dinner if we drove out there with a movie. This was, of course, the night it snowed, so there was the possibility of being stuck in the city overnight and having to wake up in the early AM to make sure everyone who needed to could get to work on time. But other than that it was an absolutely lovely time. The food was delicious and the company was wonderful.

NOTE: I will update this tomorrow. There is too much going on right now I can't focus. Don't let me forget...

So I have to say that the friends I have here at home are pretty awesome and I probably don't deserve them

I have joined a group of people that consist of

• one of my best friends from middle school whom I've kept in touch with regularly (kudos to me on that one, I have noticed that I'm a horrible friend when it comes to correspondence), Rita
  
• Rita's older sister, Lin
  
• Lin's bff, Jazzy
• Rita's bf, Mark
• Lin, Jazzy, and my bf - yes, we're sharing - Luis (I've also known him since middle school)
• Luis' roommate Homer

and these wonderful people have been doing what they call the Birthday Club. Basically, whenever it's someone's birthday we all go out for dinner and pay for the special someone's meal. I participated in Lin's birthday-week extravaganza by going out with her, Jazzy, and Rita to a bar to see Lin's fave band, 52 Pickup (they are pretty cool guys). Luis was unfortunately out of commission during his birthday so we owe him one; we're thinking January. I was involved in Jazzy's dinner at Olive Garden where we made a list of how much we despised our waiter - seriously, worst waiter EVER. I can safely say that I am no longer a new member of the Birthday Club and I'm pretty familiar with how it works. So I got seriously excited as my birthday began to loom on the horizon.

Now, having a birthday on a Thursday is pretty lame. It's not as bad as a Sunday, Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, but at the same time it sucks cause Thursday is so close to the weekend you can almost taste it. Which is why I decided that my birthday dinner would be during the weekend and all I needed to do was find out when everyone was available. And then I needed to pick a place to eat; not a small task considering my family no longer goes out to eat so I have no clue what's out there, let alone what kind of food is served. Suffice to say I was pleased when Luis told me to stop trying to plan dinner and that he would take care of it (read: Luis then went and called Lin and Jazzy to find out where we would be eating, but I guess he gets brownie points for pretending to try). Hooray for surprises!

Oh, and Luis made a rule to the effect of "Ho it up, classy it up, I don't give a fuuu...We are looking desirable Sunday night, you understand?"

So Sunday night rolls around and I have no idea where we're going but I am all gussied up and super excited. Lin and Jazzy pick me up cause my car has failed inspection and needs brakes (which my dad is currently in the process of replacing). This also ensures that I do not know where we're going. We drive into Media and lo and behold, we are going to Iron Hill! And we're dressed to the nines! And I'm wearing Lin's tiara, carrying a gift bag and Happy Birthday! balloons.

Towards the back, already seated at a round table, are Rita, Mark, Luis and Homer...and Oh My God, Luis and Homer are rocking suits. I cannot remember the last time I saw guys in full out suits...It may have been Baccalaureate. Basically, the boyfriends (as we now call them) looked good.

We order and the boys excuse themselves to go get some cash to ensure they'll be able to pay. The rest of us talk amongst ourselves waiting and when the boys come back I get a bouquet of a dozen pink roses ! Lin and Jazzy get bouquets of carnations. They had bought us all flowers earlier in the day! Seriously, for all that guys generally suck, every now and then you will meet one (and I cannot believe that I can actually tally three!) that goes above and beyond expectations. These kind of men are rare, but when you do meet one cherish the moment, cause Lord knows when you'll experience it again.

After dinner we have dessert and Lin puts four little candles in her chocolate cake and lights them and the entire table sings Happy Birthday to me while a nearby table looks on and chuckles. And then it's open the gift bag, pay for the meal, say goodnight with hugs all around and go off in our different directions. It was, oddly enough since my last entry was so pessimistic, probably one of the best birthdays I'd had in a long time, and I know I don't remember the ones from when I was younger very well. A very merry un-birthday to me indeed.

I will edit this to include pictures sometime soon...like, once I get them.