Surprise Party #2 and the beginning workings of a "Flash Performance"

Remember how most people have one surprise party? Well, it looks like I'm no longer a part of the "most people" club...

So, as you will remember from my last blog, my roommates and friends threw me a surprise party on my actual day of the anniversary of my birth. (mind you, this is the first surprise party in the history of surprise parties thrown for Emily). Large hole in the ground filled with water (well), on Friday night Matthew took me out to a fancy dinner to celebrate my birthday. We went to a little italian place called Old Venice, candles everywhere, white tablecloths, fancy schmancy. Apparently we were supposed to wait to sit outside on their patio where it's all lit up and romantic but since I had no idea where we were going I got impatient and hungry so we went early and sat inside, but it was still beautiful! The lady sitting at the table next to us started to take weird pictures of her husband so I offered to take one of the two of them, which was really my way of getting her to take a picture of us without seeming too touristy... well played Emily, well played.

It was a glorious dinner and I had the Cilantro Pesto Shrimp Pasta plate, good for 4 reasons: 1) Cilantro 2) Pesto 3) Shrimp 4) Pasta, and in case you were wondering it also had sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts, heaven, end of story. Matthew had some kind of Penne Prochuitto (I can never figure out how to spell that) pasta dish that was also delish! (like me abreivs?)

At one point in our meal I mentioned that I had to go to the restroom but that I thought it was back through the kitchen and it looked a little scary to wander back that way so I decided to hold it. Out dinner came and went and we left the restaurant with uncomfortably full stomachs (and bladder; mine, not Matthew's). At this point in time Noelle begins to text me and ask when I'm going to be home since she has to return a skirt of mine so I told her I'd have Matthew stop by her place on the way home. As we drive in to Matthew's complex (Noelle lives there too) he drives right up to his apartment and Noelle tells me she'll walk since it's a "nice night". We walk up to Matthew's front door and I point out the fact that he left his sliding door open, he replies "oops". His door is already unlocked, which is also weird since he has sketch neighbors, but I've already had a surprise party this week so I'm not expecting anything. Maybe he just had someone drop off flowers or something for me while we were out? We walked in to his apartment and I set my things down at the table, went to put my leftovers in the fridge and half way there Matthew takes them from me and does it for me, saying "don't you have to pee?". YES! So I walk in to his room, flick on the light, turn the corner and SHAPOW, 4 of my friends (Noelle, Ari, Kim and Nate) are hiding in the closet, one in Matthew's bed in case I decided to sit there first... thanks for not grabbing me from under the covers Adam. 

This may quite possibly be one of the few times in my life where I was legitimately terrified... I wish someone would have taken a picture at that moment. Although I told you about everything suspicious, I genuinely had no idea because, who really gets two surprise parties in one week? Also, don't forget, my bladder was full, I nearly wet myself. I finally got a chance to pee but have decided that a full bladder is the absolute worst opportunity to scare someone, even if it's for their birthday, because no one wants to hang out in their pee-pants (Taladega Nights anyone?) all night long? The rest of the night was filled with long conversations, Guitar Hero and DDR (dance dance revolution) [Grandma, these are video games]. 

And now, back to things related to dance:

Rehearsal was normal, nothing too exciting. We're finishing up "Pulse", which will be nice so we can move on to new things! We have also scheduled a "Flash Performance", similar to a flash mob but with less mob. On June 25th our company will head to a public place (TBD), turn on a boom box and perform a piece, no permissions, no rules, just dance until the piece is over or security kicks us out, whatever comes first. We will most likely be using the "computer-blowing-up" piece (I feel like it really needs a name already). That's pretty much all we know about that as of yet. Also, we don't have rehearsal for the next two weeks :( but this will give me that much more motivation to go in to the studio nearby and talk to them about their work study program (yes, I haven't done it yet but I'm working on it ok?!) 

And as of now that's pretty much all I can think to tell you about. Today is Matthew's moving day, we are moving him from an apartment in the back of the complex to one right up front. Please pray for us, I legitimately have no idea how we're going to move his kitchen table... Matthew and Adam may just have to walk it across the entire complex... we will see. 

I know, I know, it's been awhile...

Well hello there!!

Although you don't read this blog to stay updated on all parts of my life, I am going to update you anyway because it's been a long time since I last blogged and that's what friends do... (appropriately so, considering I did not rehearse last weekend.)

Last weekend was Easter weekend, which means that I got to go home!! I had Thursday, Friday and Monday off of school and it was so relaxing. Wednesday was Matthew's birthday (23... he's such an old fart now! [love you Matthew!]), we spent the evening celebrating with dinner at Miguel's (yuuuuuuuuuum) and hot tubbing. It was nice to be able to spend the evening with him before heading home. On Thursday morning I caught my flight back to P-ville (actually to sac), spent the day with the seester (yes, you should say it the way I spelled it), and then met up with the fam-bam-ily at BJ's to celebrate dad's birthday! Two birthdays next to each other is a terrible thing because it means two birthday dinners back to back and two birthday desserts and just about the time your "uncomfortably full" feeling from the night before starts wearing off, it happens all over again (and in my case continued happening all weekend long). The next day I spent running errands with my madre, she even bought me some early birthday presents since I'm her favorite daughter (wink)... I got a pair of sweet shoes and HARRY POTTER 7!! What a glorious birthday!! (thanks parentals!) :). Friday evening mom made steak (uncomfortable feeling returns). Saturday my family celebrated easter, which we dubbed, "preaster" since it was a day early, salmon and ham (amongst other things), and celebrated my birthday, dad's birthday, and Kevin's birthday with a homemade ICE CREAM CAKE (frosted by yours truly).

Sunday mom made ribs, 3 racks of ribs... I think you can now understand why I came back to SD 100 pounds heavier...

By Monday my body was about to explode from all the food but the fam went out to one last dinner together... Olive Garden... thankfully my mother was feeling the same so we were able to split a meal which was perfect. Overall I spent the weekend eating, oh and I also watched a good amount of TV and caught up with all the fam and some friends (Stacey) too, but mostly I just ate. Oh right, one more thing (the 'rents would be sad if I forgot to mention this), they bought a property out in Lotus, we went to visit. :) They will begin the construction of their new home shortly, exciting for them, not so much for me, I am not excited to leave the house I grew up in... The new property is 12 miles from the nearest grocery store, 15 minutes away from our current house, next to the town of Coloma where gold was first discovered in 1848, and 2 parcels away from the bank of the south fork of the American River.

Came back to SD on Monday and on Thursday night/Friday morning my roommates and I held a royal party to watch the royal wedding... Do I care that much about watching the wedding itself? Not really. Do I love every opportunity to do weird things I can only get away with because I'm in college? Abso-fruitly! Baked scones and made whipped cream and jam to celebrate waking up at 2:30AM and watched along with the rest of the world. I think I was up for about an hour and a half before getting tired of watching man-choirs and going back to bed. (Also, we did invite the neighbors... with formal royal invitations... signed from the queen...)

Deena and Johanna (friends from way back to our freshman year) came to visit us on Saturday, so we went out to BJs for a nice lunch with a large group. I got a baby pizookie in celebration of my birthday and because I had to leave early for rehearsal, but it was worth it! And just in case you were wondering, yes, this is the 2nd BJs trip and 2nd pizookie in two weeks...

Rehearsal (the main reason you keep reading what I write about every week) was great. I guess last week they worked on lifts for a dance that I'm understudying for which was nice for me because I didn't have to learn anything extra from last week (sometimes my brain can only take so much learning in one day, which is why college is so nice because I can just spend like 3-4 hours in class each day and call it quits...). We mainly worked on "Pulse" in order to finish it soon and the girl I understudy for was out so I got my fair share of a workout. We also talked about a new piece Traves is thinking about, but I won't spoil it for you yet... I'm skeptical so you may just have to wait to see it, I'm sure it'll turn out awesome though... all I can say is we won't be sparkling in the sunlight but there may be furry men?

Oh and I got a haircut on Thursday.

Tuesday the 3rd was my 21st birthday. (I realize this blog is getting long, but that's what happens when I slack off and don't get the chance to blog right after rehearsal). Janelle sent me a light up martini glass (awe-some!), my mother sent me some other schtuff and I got lots of cards and a generous donation from the most wonderful grandma :). Matthew and I made dinner, a fancy chicken wrapped in cheese and prosciutto and baked in white wine and olive oil (yes, I was ID'd when purchasing our cooking wine!), he then kept exclaiming "Emily, we don't have time!" when I continued to suggest evening activities like watching "Lost", this suspicious-ness continued when he walked me up my stairs and made me knock on the neighbor's door... to which I was surprised with a small group of my friends celebrating the anniversary of my birth!! Daniella and Lauren made a pizookie (yes, another one, but this was homemade and even more wonderful), and we all (Daniella, Lauren, Nate, Sam, Brittney, Sarah, Adam, Ari and Matthew) played Scategories (one of my favs, especially because it's one of the few I can actually win!). Overall it was a fantastic birthday!

Once again I'd like to apologize for the lack of witty comments and funny stuff, but this week has been hectic and my eye has been constantly twitching for 4 days now, I wanted to finish this baby so I can publish it before this weekend when I'll have to write another one! (I really do like these, when I'm in the mood at least...) So I'm off to rest and rejuvenate so I can start cracking comments and be somewhat entertaining again soon!

Oh also, thanks for your prayers for my ocean view room for summer... you failed... well I guess you didn't really fail, you just didn't pray hard enough because we got a room on the side of the building but will hopefully be able to see the ocean from the corner... sooooo thanks for your half-hearted prayers, "friends"... (and I'm only clarifying this because you can't hear me, but that was sarcasm, one of my many spiritual gifts, along with my powerful sense of smell)

Anyway, thanks for reading, 'perciate it!