Day 105: February 7, 2011.

Another Monday came, another Monday went and a new week is under way!  (And wonderfully so!)

Today's another one of those days where I'm finding it difficult to pinpoint exactly why I enjoyed the day, but let me assure you that I really enjoyed this day!  The sun was shining and the weather was beautiful again, Gossip Girl was filming all day on 2nd Avenue from the time I went to class in the morning to the time I walked home after my last class at 6:30 (they were there ALL day!) and all classes went quite well!  I went to bed a little later than I have been last night so I was a little more tired than I have been during the day and had some trouble keeping my eyes open at times during Dance History--oops!--but it was a seamless Monday and I feel ready to just keep on rolling this week!  Ready to get work done!!

Tonight, as I close off the day with a new episode of "Cake Boss" (haha!), great Mondays that set the stage for great weeks make me happy! :)

Day 104: February 6, 2011.

SPRING is in the air :):)  I can feel it coming!  It's just a short ways away now!

Today, the excitement that comes with the gradual shift of seasons makes me happy :)

Day 103: February 5, 2011.

I woke up early this morning in order to head uptown for a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The first paper that I have to write for my Modern Art class pertains to a photography exhibit there, and seeing as I'd never been before I was really excited to get out in the city for a bit in an area of town that I'm not in on a regular basis.  It's been cold and rainy all day, but I was so glad to be out it just didn't matter!

The exhibit was very interesting!  I'm really glad we were required to go!  As I said, it was a photography exhibit focusing on the work of late-19th and 20th century modernistic artists Stieglitz, Steichen and Strand.  As I worked my way through the three rooms I realized about halfway through that I'd been reading all the placards (which I know is kind of the point of going to museums but I don't think I've ever taken the time to actually read them!) and taking down as thorough notes as possible and not solely because this was a school-related assignment!  I loved being there and learning, immersed in a part of the art world that I'm not as educated in!

Today, the vast and beautiful world of art and the ability to expand my knowledge about it in a place so rich in history and example makes me happy :)

Day 102: February 4, 2011.

I have a really random brain sometimes so it doesn't take much for a quick sensory observation or experience to bring back a memory from years' past.  That happened to me today; I love it when that happens :)

I was walking to the 8th Street subway station after classes this morning to head uptown for my chiropractor appointment.  I passed a food vendor cart on the street.  It's the exact same one I pass almost every day, but for some reason the scent of hot dogs and burgers cooking immediately got me thinking about Hidden Creek Country Club--the golf club that my grandparents had been members of from the time they moved to Virginia from Long Island up until a few years ago.

I spent a lot of time with Nana and Pop-pop growing up (and still do when I'm home as I'm sure most of you have noticed! Haha!) so I hung out quite a bit at the golf club!  When I was six Nana signed me up for the Junior Golf summer program and I continued to take part in that for the next six or seven years.  I'd play golf with the kids every Tuesday morning in the summer (meaning I got to have a fun sleepover at Nana and Pop-pop's the night before of course!  Complete with a delicious dinner, an old musical on video and ice cream!), I'd go out golfing with Nana and her friends on occasion...Sometimes when I was really young and didn't have to go to dance after golf was finished Nana would stay with me while I went swimming in the pool before heading back to her house.  We had Pro-Ams and ParentAt the end of each golf "season" there would be an awards banquet for us kids where we'd receive our trophies and eat dinner with our families and just have a great little time.

Every Tuesday night was Burger Night at the grill (which is the particular memory the smell made me think of today), so as much as we could we took this as the perfect opportunity to get the family together!  We'd pretty much always be missing a member or two, sometimes it was just us and Nana and Pop-pop, but either way it was always a blast!  My favorite place to sit was at the corner booth with the wrap-around bench but if we couldn't sit there (or if the parents wanted to sit somewhere else) we were always known for rearranging the tables and pulling over seats to fit us all in.  The kids sat at one end of the table, the parents at the other with Nana usually at the head of the table!  We'd rush over to the popcorn maker (the free popcorn was always one of the best parts!) and fill up a few baskets to put on the table.  Drink of choice?  Shirley Temple.  Meal of choice?  Chicken fingers.  We'd eat and laugh and while the parents were finishing (they always took SO long!) Peter, Katie, Morgan and I would go run around the hallways, in and out of locker rooms, downstairs through the indoor driving range...They were awesome family nights that I'm so glad we made happen!  I know I'm on a family kick these days, but I just can't help it!  They always make my days great whether I'm with them or not!

Whoa!  All that from a food vendor?!  Who'd have thought?!

Tonight, those wonderful memories that pop back up totally unexpectedly make me happy :)

Day 101: February 3, 2011.

The first thing that made me smile this morning was the thing that kept putting a smile on my face all day long.  

It was simply the sun!

We have a pretty big, wide window in our room so waking up to a blue sky with sunlight pouring in was the perfect way to start off the day, especially after the yucky gray weather we've been having.  It was so refreshing to walk down the street (back and forth across campus ALL day!) squinting from beautiful rays of sunlight instead of squinting because of rain or snow being blown in my face by bitter winter wind!  It didn't even matter so much to me today that the temperature only reached a high of 29 degrees...I felt a subtle (yet totally noticeable) shift in mood today in the parts of the city in which I found myself and it was all thanks to a little natural light!  It was quite wonderful!

Tonight, nice weather and small precursors to spring make me happy :)

Day 100: February 2, 2011.

As I sit here to type out my 100th "like" I'm realizing what a momentous occasion I've perceived it to be.  Haha!  The closer and closer it's gotten the more excited I've become for some reason, as if fireworks and confetti cannons are going to go off and there will be balloons and a big party...In elementary school we always had a 100th Day of School party (which was always so much fun!), but in our case tonight there's no need for a huge celebration.  For one, there are still 265 days to go!  Haha!  We're nowhere near the finish line!  And secondly, this list isn't a competition or a race of any kind...Each day has a single, equal purpose and that is to smile :)  No one is greater or more important than the next!  

So on that note, on to my "like!" :)

Today was an all-around great Wednesday!  I woke up with that same joy that I had all day yesterday, so from the get-go I had a feeling I was in for another wonderful day!  I knew that it was going to be one for sure when I was able to walk out of ballet class this morning and say, "That was a GREAT ballet class!"  It was definitely the best one of the new semester so far!  Last week was a push trying to wrap my mind around the intensity of the new semester (let alone get my body to perform as it should class after class..five weeks off will do that to a person!), but after today's class I know that I'm on the right track to being healthy and back in shape and this is making me even more excited to dive on into the tasks at hand!  Class was hard, don't get me wrong!  Jolinda (our pointe teacher who happens to be my regular technique teach this rotation as well, meaning I have her four days in a row) is one of my absolute favorite teachers here at school.  She always gives really challenging classes, which I usually love, but it's been a rude awakening the last week and a half!  Today I believe the tables have turned!  I felt like I was working instead of struggling and let me tell you, it was a fabulous change of pace!  :)

I also knew today was going to be a great day when Lila--Schmikel Sandberry, for those of you who have wondered who that is on FB!--came into the studio first thing in the morning with a huge smile on her face and was laughing and happy all class!  It was the most awesome way to start the day!!

Tonight, wonderful morning ballet classes and happy friends make me happy :)

Day 99: February 1, 2011.

All day today these cool cats were on my mind:

I know I write about my family quite a bit on here, but I'm going to do it again tonight!  I was thinking of Mom, Dad and Morgan all day today for some reason.  Well, I wasn't really thinking about them as much as I was just pleasantly aware of their presence as I went through this busy Tuesday.  (Except for all the time I was thinking about what a lucky duck Morgan is that she got ANOTHER snow day today!  All you LCPS kids better be having a blast during all these days off!!)  I'm a big fan of my family...Dad rocks.  Mom rocks.  Morgan totally rocks.  I can call them whenever, I get text messages throughout the day from them which always put a smile on my face...No matter how far away we are from each other we're always connected.  To me, that's so cool.  And a HUGE blessing.  And this was made very clear to me today.

From the second I woke up I was in a good mood and ready to get going.  I realized that this is the kind of "happy" that I wake up feeling when I'm totally in the zone and excited about what lies ahead in the coming hours...Exactly how I wake up when I'm at home with my family.  So really, this morning I felt like I was waking up at home.  My mom, dad and sister weren't right downstairs eating breakfast or doing crossword puzzles or anything, but they were right down the turnpike and today that was as close as I needed.  Sometimes it seems like a really long way away but I didn't feel one inch of distance between myself and them at any point today.  It was a great feeling :)

So tonight, on this 99th night of The "Like" List, the love that knits my family together makes me happy :):)