Annnnnnnddddd we’re back.
I hit the ground running this week as I spent about half of the long weekend working on finals and the other half doing a bit of relaxing. As a result, I feel refreshed, invigorated, and in a great place to start the final finals crunch.
It’s funny, but in past years Thanksgiving break has never meant being on top of things. 
Historically, it’s been a time where (if anything) I feel even further behind the giant homework snowball than usual. This may be for a variety of reasons…
1) I’ve never not worked before. Ever. This year, my fellowship is generous enough that I didn’t have to face the first-year-hell on top of viable employment and, being nothing but an opportunist, I jumped at that opportunity. As a result, I actually had five solid days of not needing to be anywhere (except for obligatory family stuff). As a result, I had time both to get work done and to relax.
2) Tufts, bless their bureaucratic institutional soul, allows us to turn in our finals during actual allotted finals week as opposed to on our last class. The last class is usually around the second week of December. Allotted finals time bumps right up against Christmas (my last final is due on the 21st). That is a significant portion of time in which you no longer have class reading, you no longer have to be physically present in class, and you can simply devote to writing your finals. Rutgers was a “last class final paper” kind of institution which did mean that my semester ended earlier, but also inevitably meant that I was a) working through my birthday and b) panicking at the tail end of Thanksgiving.
3) The liberal consumption of pecan pie and martinis. Not necessarily together. In past years, the pecan pie has (of course) been a staple of the thanksgiving table, but the appreciation of a good dry dirty vodka martini has eluded me until this very year. Now I’m not entirely certain how I lived without them.
4) Disney movies. Enough said.
Oh, yea, and I attended Mostly Waltz (Boston) yesterday.
Let me take a moment to expound upon the wonders of social dancing. My experience is in ballroom which, while not entirely out of place at Mostly Waltz, is very different styling from the folk/country/general social dance that most of the dancers there were versed in. What this meant was an afternoon of, while being comfortable and confident on the dance floor, learning something new and exciting. Social dancing is the essence of communication. Without words, two people come together and create something. A lead needs to be clear in his signals and a follow needs to be able to listen to those signals. Moving together, the dancers need to understand what to give and take from each other so as to not find themselves in a giant mess.
There were fascinating people at this event; experts (of all ages) in Scandinavian dance, English country, Scottish country, contra dance, folk waltz, blues, all kinds of swing… and they were all there just for the sheer love of dancing.
It’s been a while since I’ve been in a ballroom, but I’ve never felt more welcome or excited to be back. People were gracious and generous with their time and knowledge, and I didn’t (even for a minute) feel judged about my lack of experience with their particular dance style.
Oh and music. Did I mention live music? LIVE MUSIC! Incredible live music!
Waltzing is a bear necessity
I can’t go so far as to say that I’d recommend this event to dancers who have never danced before, but if you’re good at picking this sort of thing up (or brave, or have friends who would be willing to show you), you should definitely give it a whirl. Unfortunately, they only dance once a month and the next won’t be until January… but it is totally worth the wait.
So my feet are aching like I forgot they would ache (it’s a different ache from general sore feet due to the parts of the foot which you use while dancing. I’m just really glad that I have a pair of well-broken-in shoes so I’m not suffering dance blisters as well). I seem to be winning the fight with the homework beast and, while it is not completely vanquished yet, I am definitely making headway in pushing it back into its cave to hibernate for the winter months.
And now for your viewing pleasure….
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOWC5zf8YMw]
Happy Monday, folks!!
