What should I be doing right now?  I should be packing.

But what am I doing right now?  I’m writing a blog post.

Hey, don’t judge!  It’s my therapy.  And trust me, with my first heat just hours away, I’ve got a lot over-burdening my psyche.  I have to get some of it out before my head explodes!

My bags are half-packed, to be fair.  And I believe that I actually have everything I will need in my possession at this time.  This is good news.

I did my last spray tan layer today.  That makes a total of three.  I’m darker than I was after tanning for a full summer in Spain.

Nails were completed Sunday.  Oh, and funny story that – the cute little Vietnamese dude who did them, I told him why I was getting them (for the ballroom competition) and he was like, “Oh, now you have sexy nails, sexy nails!”

“Yep!”

“Oh, you do dance?  What kind?”

“Ballroom.”

“Oh, like Cha Cha Cha?  When we done you have to Cha Cha Cha for me!”

I was like, um, no!  That’s embarrassing!  But he was all, like, singing to songs on the radio while he made up my “sexy nails” and told me since he sang for me I had to dance for him.

So guess what? I decided to channel my “Inner Cyrus” and gave my nail tech two Cha Cha basics, in my slippers, but with lots of hip.  Ha ha!  Go me!  You only live once, right?  Why hide what I love, even if it does make people gawk.  Whatevs.  No time to be meek days before I’m going to put it all out there on the Desert Classic dancefloor.  Might as well practice being seen when the opportunity arises, even at the nail salon.

The laundry list of preparation continues:

Picked up my new dress yesterday.

Bought new real-clothes ballroom dresses to wear for the evenings at Desert Classic night sessions weeks ago.

Filled up the gas tank. Arranged a meeting place and time to pick up Ivan and Marieta tomorrow.

Had a lesson this morning.  Bought all the food and drinks I think I’ll need to keep me fueled as I take on said 120 heats.

Now all that is left is to organize and to pack.  And I just know that Ivan is going to give me so much crap tomorrow.  He’s said about 5 times how little he will bring.  Well number one, he’s a boy.  Number two, if I want to over-pack, like fill two large suitcases for 5 days of travel, well then, that is my prerogative, as a girl, as a person driving the car and not paying for the weight of luggage on an airplane, and because I do this ballroom competition thing, especially out-of-town, like once a year if at all.  Plus, all those stupid evening gowns are dang heavy!  Anyways, I’m going to have a lot to carry.  Tough beans!

So, really, what is left?  Just a road trip, which should be entertaining with Ivan, and then makeup and hair and freakin’ dancin!

You know, I’m not so worried about the dancing, though, to be honest, after seeing these pictures of my friend Colette in her new sexy dress, maybe I really should be (HOLY HELL WOMAN!), especially since we will be going head-to-head in the closed bronze Latin scholarship:

No really.  I’m not worried. (This is what I tell myself…dear God, please have mercy!  HOT TAMALE, isn’t she?)  Oh yeah and she showed me up on the nails too!  Can you believe these amazing suckers?

But really now, not being all nicey-nicey, of course I want to do well in all my dancing, and of course I’m human and will be taking in all the dancers around me.  And, I will be thrilled for my friends no matter what…plus I have decided that it’s all feedback, however I place, it’s all just feedback.  What really, really matters is how I feel about me, you know?  My biggest accomplishment at this competition would be to enjoy every second of the competition, to have fun with Ivan, and to be grounded, centered, and happy being me, especially in the midst of amazing women who look like Colette (read flawless, chiseled, Greek Goddesses)!  Well, now, I wouldn’t say no to any awards or anything, either, heh heh heh.   But I seriously hope I have something to report back to you all about.

Well, I will.  Whether big or small, funny silly encounters, or big emotional breakthroughs, triumphs, wins, or even falling flat on my tukhus, I will share my adventure.

Photos and videos and blog posts to follow.

OH!  And I almost forgot…apparently there will be video coverage of the Desert Classic..and, best news, it’s free.  Not so good news, I’m not entirely sure it will cover the non-pro sessions, but it’s worth checking it out.  Good news again, Ivan and Marieta will be competing in the Open Pro American Rhythm heats on Saturday night, so please cheer them on.  You can learn more about them and support them by liking this page.  The streaming will start Friday, 8am (it looks like) here.  I’ll be dancing Saturday day, so if they show that, cool.  I think it’s just the pros though….just means I need to get good enough to be in the dang evening sessions!  Ha ha!  I’ll get there….that, or eventually I will get old enough.  They do the senior events in the evening too.

Alrighty then.  I’m about to go have my own episode of “The Studio”…will let you know how it turns out.

Wish me luck!

And, in honor of Colette, who sent a photo that said this (I looked for a very long time to find…sheesh!):

Yes!  Let’s Do This!  And Yes!  Dear God, Let Me Have 4 Hours (or more) of Quality Sleep So I May Dance 16 Hours in the Coming Days.

Love, Stef