A serenade

Not too long ago, I ran into this youtube video of Roberto Carlos (see video clip below - he’s like a Brazilian Barry Manilow) singing one of his most famous ballads, “Como é grande o meu amor por você”, which translates to “this is how great my love for you really is”. I'm not what you'd call a huge fan of Roberto myself, although he’s a very likable singer. But this one song will always hold a special place in my heart, because the one time a guy actually serenaded me, and I mean, whipped up his guitar, had me sitting on top of a ledge while he sang, it was to this song.

You can deduce that, since I now live in the US, and my hubby does not speak Portuguese, that he wasn’t the one who sang it. The guy who actually sang it, was then and still is, my very best friend in the whole wide world. Nothing ever happened on a romantic level between us. I remember panicking a bit as he was singing because I thought about not being able to wear high heels if I dated him (call me shallow if you like, but I was, after all, only 19, so what did I know?), or worse, losing his friendship if it didn’t work out. There were, as it turned out, far more pressing issues that I wasn’t aware of at the time. Issues that I may not have been strong enough to survive as a lover, but was able to accept and be there for him as a friend.

There are so many forks on the road of one's life. When you look back, it's interesting to wonder what would have happened if you had done this or that, said yes or no, gotten down from that ledge and given him a passionate kiss instead of an awesome hug... Don't get me wrong, though - I am so very happy with my life as it is now, it's not even funny. Sometimes I even feel like I don't deserve it, but it doesn't last long, because I have learned to be grateful for what I have and appreciate it NOW. Besides I'm well aware that I probably have paid my dues during the previous administration, if at no other time in my life.

Like I said, it's interesting to look back and wonder, but you must not loose sight of what you currently have and love. If you do (loose sight, that is), it's like being trapped in the Lotus Hotel (sorry, you have to have read Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief to get that one). And here’s my question to you: have you ever been serenaded, and if so, to what song? I'd love to hear it.

A rumba with Collin, Michael Bublé & Ivan Lins

If you had told me six months ago that I'd learn a ballroom routine and perform it that same week at the studio party, I'd have laughed in your face. But guess what? That's exactly what happened this week. My awesome instructor, Collin, came up with the choreography on the spot on Tuesday, we made a decision on the song Friday morning, and performed it last night! I still can't believe it went as well as it did. Hubby was more impressed than ever and said I have really improved since starting last November.

I cannot tell you enough how wonderful and supportive Collin was to make this happen (specially since this was my other instructor's idea)! But Collin came to the rescue and made it work. This guy is pure gold in my book! He also did my hair and make up - will his talent ever end??? I certainly hope not! The song was "Wonderful Tonight", a remake of an Eric Clapton song, by none other than Michael Buble, singing along with Ivan Lins, a Brazilian Bossa Nova singer. I happened to have this song in my iPod because we do a Jazzercise stretch routine to it. I've always loved it because Michael actually gets to sing a few lines in Portuguese, and I get goose bumps every time because, since I can understand what he's saying, it makes me feel like he's singing it to me... Yeah, the sky is also a pretty shade of blue in my world - but it's OK... they know me here :-)

Check out the link below to the video. Hope you like it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ_TJ-4ajho

Tango, Por Una Cabeza

Well, after a very very helpful suggestion from my friend and dance instructor, Collin, I was able to finally get the video of the tango I did with Slash into a reasonable size that would upload here. Bear in mind I'm new at this. Thanks, Collin. Enjoy!

Cosmic signs

I've always heard that as you get older, no matter how good your eye sight has always been, it is going to start deteriorating, little by little. Well, a while ago I got my first cosmic sign that I'm not immune to this rite of passage, when I tried to read the label on a bottle of Children's Motrin. In my defense, they do print those directions in an awfully small size because there's so much information to put there.

Concerned that I might inadvertently overdose my children, I did go to an ophthalmologist and was told that, apparently, I had some kind of bacterial infection as a child that settled in my right eye and created a bit of scar tissue behind my retina. The good news is that the scar is not getting any bigger but just the natural process of getting older is doing its thing on both eyes.

So, I go merrily about my every day business, and then, lo and behold, the cosmos decides it's time to send me another sign. As a big fan of Michael Buble, I went online and purchased tickets for his next concert in Milwaukee as soon as it was available. I decided to splurge and get floor tickets this time, and purchased what I though were tickets in row "Q". When we get there, I was pleasantly surprised that I had, in fact, gotten tickets for row "G"! Yes, 7 rows away from his Royal Canadian cutie patoutie. Awesome show! As far as cosmic signs go, not a bad one to get...

Not a week goes by, and as I'm driving home from Jazzercise, I see this sign on someone's drive way and almost pull in, for I thought it said "free manicure". I'm thinking that maybe someone is training to be a manicurist and they need willing souls to try their new found knowledge on, right? Not so much - the second time I drive by it, I slowed down enough to clearly see that it said "free manure".

Latest cosmic sign: found this awesome Latin restaurant in Pewaukee called Salsa Cafe. I've been telling everyone I know about it, and have taken friends there on occasion. The chef, a very nice man, has seen my family and I there enough times that he makes a point of always stopping at our table to chat. So, this last weekend, as again we took some friends there after a Brewers game, the chef comes by, thanks us for spreading the word about his place, and tells us that they recently got a very favorable review in the local newspaper and that business has actually tripled since then. He had the article posted on the entrance door, so when he walks away, I get up and go to the door to see how many stars they got. When I get back, hubby asks me how many stars they got, and I say "Oh, it's all good. They got free manicure".

Tango time

I was so looking forward to posting the video of my last ballroom dance here, as we did the tango this time. It turned out really well, but the file is a bit too big for the blog (now that DH figured out how the night time feature works) so at the moment, a picture will have to be it. I loved it and we picked the song “Por una cabeza” from the movie “Scent of a Woman” by Carlos Gardel. Major bummer that I can't post the video right now. DH is in charge of trying to figure out how to zip or compress that file and see if it works. Here’s hoping…

It's the end of the world... again

Growing up in a religious home, I've been hearing about the end of the world since I was a little girl. In my early 20's, I met this guy who wanted to get married but not have kids because the world would end soon and he didn't want his kids to go through the ordeal and mayhem that would come about - really?! Plus, I remember him scaring the heck out of me saying that I did not want to be pregnant during the end of the world. Are you kidding me??? Picture me running (not fast enough as it turned out, but still... it could have been worst!)

Well, it seems we dodged another highly hipped doom's day. My kids, just a couple of weeks shy of being 11 years old, got a bit concerned about the whole deal. Friday night, presumably the day before the "end of the world", I tried to ease their fears by reminding them that the Bible says no man knows the day or the hour of the second coming of Jesus Christ, or the rapture (when the 144,000 chosen ones are taken to heaven) and the subsequent end of the world. Therefore, the minute someone or some group of zealots start naming a date, you can rest assured it's not happening (maybe the day after, but certainly not that day - but I did leave that footnote out of the conversation to avoid panic). My boy, ever the problem solver - there's a reason we call him little McGiver - lights up and says that all we have to do then, is to remember to say it's the end of the world every day so that it does not happen. It's a theory.

My little girl, however, was a little harder to pacify. She seemed to understand the point at the time, but the next day showed signs of growing concern. Saturday morning, "D" day, I had to go teach a Jazzercise class, while hubby took our boy to Opening Day of baseball season. She had to go with them, and I was to meet them there immediately after my class. Since baby girl does not play, she always brings her Nintendo DS and/or a book to read while we are at games. When I get there, I look down at her lap and notice her Nintendo and a book. I know immediately what book it is, but I have to ask anyway, so I say "What did you bring to read today?" It's her Bible, and she just looks up at me and smiles, to which I say "I see you're trying to get on God's good side anyway, huh?! Gotta give you points for thinking ahead!"

Well, we're all still here. Thank you God for another beautiful day!

Spring Break!

I lived in Washington DC for a while (a long time ago, you know, during the previous administration :-() so whenever anyone would come visit, since I was only a 5 hour drive from New York, I would invariably take my guests there. Let's face it, it's an awesome city, with so much to see, so many famous sites to visit, you just can't help it. But the last time I was there, the Twin Towers were still up - yeah, it had been a while.

So for Spring Break, after considering a few options, we took the family to NYC. We did the usual, Times Square, a Broadway play (How to Succeed in Business Without Trying), Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Central Park, a couple of museums, the mandatory visit (or two) to FAO Schwarz (it's mandatory when you a couple of 10 year olds with you), Rockfeller Center, Little Italy (best gnocchi I've had in ages) etc. Which brings me to all the fantastic meals you have to have because, sadly, you can't cook when you're on vacation -- this vacation anyway.

Oh yes, speaking of that, I had to go to 46th Street twice to visit two different Brazilian Restaurants. I saw a sign on the corner that actually said "Little Brazil" so I think it's growing... Pao de queijo (cheese bread), picanha (prime roast) and caipirinha (the Brazilian National drink). It was very great. At the first one, Via Brasil, I told my family that the minute I walked through those doors I would only speak Portuguese, so they were on their own. Everyone thought it was fun, except for my boy, who by the end of the night was somewhat upset. But, I'm hoping they'll remember the value of being able to speak another language and be more motivated to learn it in the future. I have to say it was a somewhat one sided conversation for a while, till my resourceful husband (who was actually doing really well as a translator for the kids) had enough and pulled out his Blackberry, and got into the Babelfish website (a translation site). Still we had fun.

Now, in the "only in NY" category, at an Irish restaurant, while waiting for our dessert, my boy and I were playing goal post with a coin. Every now and then the coin would fly off the table, we'd pick it up and keep going. After a while, it flew off and landed at this lady's feet a couple of tables over. Before my boy had a chance to walk over, she simply picked up the coin, put it in her purse and never once looked over at us or anybody else for that matter. I guess recession must have hit her a little harder than most!

All in all, a great vacation. We'll have to go back!!!

Here's to my first ballroom competition

The studio where I take lessons is pretty aggressive in pushing you to perform. I'm not what you'd call a shy person, so performing is not a problem, if I feel adequately prepared for it. That's why I wake up so early whenever I'm teaching Jazzercise - if I feel prepared, I can have fun with it even if it's not as perfect as I'd have liked.

But, back to ballroom dancing. We had this "Winter Ball Competition" and I danced about 27 dances with my instructors, Slash and Collin. The first day was for smooth dances (like waltz, fox trot, tango) and because I had not spent as much time on those, I really didn't have high expectations for them, but at the end of the day, I had placed second or third in every dance I entered. On the second day, we did the rhythm dances (cha-cha, rumba, swing, merengue) and I felt more confident about those - that's when I started getting first places as well. By the time it was over I had placed in every dance but one. It was a great experience, almost like "Dancing With the Stars Boot Camp", minus the stars, unless you count me :-) Every so many dances, the judges would take a break to tally their votes and the floor would open to general dances, when anybody could just get out there and dance. There were awards, a party after the competition on both days (Friday and Saturday) and even more dancing. Throughout the day, if you like people watching, you would have been in heaven! Feathers were flying, tears were shed (not mine - I rolled my eyes a lot, but no tears), and drama was in the air everywhere you'd turn.

This being my first ever ballroom competition, I really appreciated being able to rely on my instructors for everything. Not as much on Slash, who, by virtue of being the more seasoned instructor, had more students to attend to. Collin on the other hand, being a relatively young instructor, was able to really stand by me and hold my hand, so to speak, so I'd not freak out under the spotlight or pressure. He really is an awesome dancer, and I know that it won't be long before he is in as much demand as any other instructor in that studio. But for now, I get to savor the attention and the fun, which frequently includes him pestering me with anything Bieber related, because he knows I don't like it. I keep telling him I don't like Barry Manilow, but so far he has not taken the bait...

Collin did save my merengue (and that's not code word for anything but merengue) this past weekend. We had completely forgotten that I entered in merengue and had not practiced it AT ALL! He gave me a quick "Merengue 101" earlier in the day and when I danced it with Slash later, we ended up taking second place! Like I said, Collin is pretty awesome and talented.

Slash took home a teacher award, and a first and second place in two of the professional dances he did with a professional partner. He is a joy to watch when he's dancing. It's plain to see he loves what he does because it simply shines through every one of his dance moves. However, he's also the one responsible for my brunette Evita Peron hairdo :-( He's explained it all to me (several times in fact) that the reason for the sleek hairdo is so it doesn't distract from the woman's dance moves or the dress, or both. Regardless, I promised him that unless I can wear my curly hair down in some fashion, he's not gonna see me competing any time soon (as in ever!!).

Anyway, not a bad first venture into the world of ballroom competition, but it also made me realize how much more I need to learn. If money was not an issue, I'd take a lesson everyday and be that much better that much faster, but reality has a way of beckoning you in the shape of kids, family, and other responsibilities you have in your day to day life. It's a good thing too, as it keeps you grounded and reminded of how balance is essential for happiness in any one's life. We'll see what the next chapter brings. I'm keeping my dancing shoes on!

Cha-cha

So, another week, another party at the dance studio. This time I danced the Cha-cha with my other instructor, Slash. We (and I really should say, "he") picked the song "Mercy" by Duffy. Love the song, but we do a Jazzercise routine to it, so I was trying to stir him away from that song to avoid confusion, but it didn't work. In the end, it all went really well - I just had to purposely not do that routine in any of my Jazzercise sets for a while. As usual, DH was there to film it, and this time he even got the ending :-) It's still a work in progress as DH just realized (after the dance) that our camera does have a "night vision" feature, so hopefully the next video might be lighter and easier to see. Enjoy.

A thankless job

You know, sometimes, people find themselves with a job that they can't refuse, a lot of times don't want to refuse, but that they know they will be not be thanked or praised for.

Have you seen that movie in which one character asks the other to, say, hang on to their phone so they'll not call this awesome person they went out with just yesterday because that would be too soon or sound desperate? I know, work with me and pretend that's the only phone on earth that has the awesome person's number. Anyway, the person holding the phone has the thankless job of then, being yelled at, threatened and called every vile name under the sun, when they are only performing the task that was specifically required of them.

If you want to go a little more epic on this, think of the Greek hero Ulysses. He was able to pass this one particular island that was a haven for sirens (also called sea nymphs or mermaids). They had such sweet voices that it is said that mariners who heard their songs were lured into grounding their boats on the rocks on which the beautiful nymphs sang. Well, Ulysses was warned about them, but still wanted to hear them sing. So, in order to pass their island in safety, he plugged the ears of his companions with wax and had himself firmly bound to the mast of the ship so that he could hear the songs without danger.

I remember a particular movie depicting this scene, in which you could see, first, Ulysses begging his sailors to free him, then he changes tactics and tries to bribe them, then he just threatens to kill every single one if they don't obey him. Of course, the sailors have wax in their ears and can't hear what he's saying, but they just have to take one look at his face to get the gist of what he's trying so desperately to convey. When they're all safe and away from the mermaids, Ulysses is somewhat ashamed of his behaviour and, of course, glad his sailors didn't listen to him. Yes, it all ended well, but going through it was no picnic for either party.

So, for the record, to my one and only love: You're one heck of a sailor! THANK YOU for tying me to the mast, then letting me get my feet wet before you pulled me back to the boat! The song is really beautiful!!

Is it too early for a mid-life crisis?

Well, come to think of it, since you don't know when you'll die, you can't really tell when you're having a mid-life crisis, right? Well, I think as time goes by I'm realizing more and more that if you're gonna do something, better do it sooner rather than later.

Case in point, this past fall I ran my first ever 5-K Race to help raise money for ITP which is blood disorder one of my friend's husband has. I found out about the race 4 days before, and without any prior training, went for it cold turkey. Yes, my Jazzercise training kept me going but you definitely use different muscles when you're just running, so I felt the pain for a few days afterwards, and was even tempted to sleep on the couch so I wouldn't have to climb the stairs... But it was all worth it and the organization we were raising money for made $8,000 that day. My buddy Kandace and I crossed the finish line together and won 1st place for our "age bracket" - and that bracket is for me to know and you to never find out :-)

So, next, in my road to mid-life crisis bonanza, I went to a dance studio to take a free lesson just to help a friend who already takes lessons there. For every newbie she brings in for a trial lesson, whether those people sign up for lessons or not, my friend gets a free lesson. The problem was that, when I got there and the instructor realized that I was not technically a newbie (having taken lessons for our wedding 14 years ago, then being a Jazzercise instructor which utilizes a ton of dance moves, and yeah, the Brazilian-Latin blood coursing through my veins does not hurt either) well, let's just say he really didn't have to twist my arm at all to get me to consider taking lessons again. I started in November and this last Friday I did my first rumba during one of the Friday night parties, with my instructor, Collin. It was great. I picked one of my very favorite Brazilian songs, Anos Dourados, by Maria Bethania... ah, it did bring back memories from when I was still living in Brazil.

Anyway, they really take things seriously and my two instructors had me come early so they could do my hair and make-up. I wasn't too crazy about either as they sleeked my hair into a bun, a la Evita Peron, albeit a brunette one, and did some very heavy make-up on me, to the point that when DH first saw me he asked what was up with the racoon eyes. I understand that this is an art form that requires heavy make-up at times, but I'm still not used to it completely. Yes, DH, while not taking lessons with me this time around because his schedule won't allow, is very very supportive... I did warn him about some of the more titillating portions of the dance (you know, when I have to trail my hands up the instructor's leg all the way up to his chest) mainly so he wouldn't drop the camera, which he didn't. This next Friday I'm scheduled to do a Cha-cha.

Moving on, the very next day, 100 of my closest Jazzercise buddies and I did the half-time show at the Milwaukee's Bucks game. We did this last year and it was a lot of fun. This time, we were given a big perk: Aaron Rodgers, quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, was there along with Brian Braun from the Milwaukee Brewers, watching the game. As we were waiting at the tunnel entrance to get into the basketball court for our routine, he came by and everybody yelled and cheered for him. And yes, he's even more dreamy in person. So, that just about tells you what I've been up to lately.

So, below is the video of my rumba. Bear in mind that good is help is very hard to find these days - even though DH did not drop the camera, he did stop taping a bit early and missed our dramatic exit.

All in all, when you think I could be going out and buying a convertible, getting a divorce and marrying a younger man, or scheduling several plastic surgeries, the things I've done recently are pretty innocuous and fun. Enjoy!