The Ex-Dancer Gone Rogue

The Closing of Terms (and New Beginings)

2008-08-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my last day of the summer term. I am so happy it is over. Algebra was starting to get to me and take over my life. To bad I have Algebra 2 this Fall semester. Jazz dance was fun, and it kinda pulled me out of my ballet shell that I've wormed my way into for the 13 years I danced when I was younger. I also went to another counselor this summer to start working on UC Davis stuff, and it's not going to be as stressful these next 2 semesters as first made out to be by the other counselor. I only need 17 more units to transfer, and only three of those 6 classes are for graduation requirements. Any other classes I take are for the fun of it, like modern dance and an extra voice class. What I'm not looking forward to is my first term at UCD and all my classes being freshman level classes.

About two weeks ago me and my mom went to a christening for some coworkers of ours from the theatre at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in downtown Sacramento. Let's just say it was interesting and different and leave it at that so as not to offend some people. I will say it was and wasn't exactly what I was expecting from a Catholic baptism. Other than those formalities, the Cathedral was beautiful and almost distracted me from the ceremony taking place. I hadn't been inside since it was remodeled, and my only real memory of the building was when after a rehearsal with the Sacramento Ballet as a child, we went and protested a concert going on there for the Sacramento Symphony. The ballet and the symphony weren't getting along for some reason I don't remember. I almost wish I had taken some photos of the interior of the building, but it was a little dark in there and I again only had my camera phone.

The parents are our coworkers (and actors) Kat and Matt, and their son Max. My mom made his christening gown.

The Best Nephews Ever

2008-06-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

These are some pictures of my brother Wes' kids from last November at a park near my house. Their names are William Bastian and Dorian Jude. Will just turn 5 on may 21st and Dorian turned 2 at the end of December.

Realization of Being Overloaded

2008-06-05T10:43:00.000-07:00

So I went to my counselor last week to get started on my TAG (transfer admission guarantee) for UC Davis and make sure everything was up to par. Yes, true, she agreed that all my GE's were done except for a couple of classes, then she gives me a clinker. I don't have enough units to transfer with a TAG. I only have about 39 (for some reason she said I had only 30) transferable units and I need 60. FREAK'N 60!!! And I want to transfer next fall. I knew I had to do more for UCD than BYU (stupid school that didn't let me in), but I didn't realize it was that much. I have to do about 18 units in fall and 18 units in spring to get it all done before I go. If I didn't think I had a life now, these next two semesters will show that any social life for me will be completely non-existent. What's worse is I won't have a car for a while so I have to take transit everywhere. then again maybe it's good because off how much gas is right now. Yesterday in Davis it was about $4.23 for unleaded, UGH! Let me show you what I have in store for fall and spring: Fall: Monday, Wednesday: Piano 9-10:20, Algebra II 10:45-11:50, Intro to Linguistics 12-1:20. Tuesday, Thursday: English Writing 9-10:20, Algebra II (again, 4 days a week) 10:45-11:50, Modern Dance 12-1:20, and French 3-5. Now for spring which is tentative because the schedule doesn't come out for a while: Monday, Wednesday: French 8-10, Business Calculus 1:30-3. Tuesday, Thursday: Modern Dance 12-1:20, Chemistry 4:30-8:30 (at night!) (or I could take Astronomy but I think I need more credits which Chemistry fills). To fill in the rest it could be any 2 from this list of courses: Social Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Intro to International Relations, International Studies, or Piano, Voice (which ever ones fill the open spaces). Now my task is to find out if I even have time to work with this schedule before me, I'll probably just go work part-time at a Starbucks or something.

Trying Something Out

2008-05-22T16:21:00.000-07:00

This is the first real cake I ever made, and it was for my nephew's fifth birthday. The one problem was that it wasn't really a kids cake; it wasn't sweet enough. I got the recipes from Martha Stewart and combined them together. It's baked in two 2"x8" circle pans, both sliced in half (remember to slice off the rounded top part or else it won't lay flat), each layer is covered in ganache then topped with whipped cream (I'd let the ganache set first before putting the whipped cream on), then cover the whole thing in ganache, let it sit in the fridge, last, top with whipped cream and keep in fridge until serving.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 cups all-purpose flour 3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup vegetable oil 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 1/2 cups hot water

TOOLS
Two 8-by-2 inch round cake pans, Parchment paper, Flour sifter, Electric mixer and bowl, Rubber spatula, Long serrated knife
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper, and butter paper. Dust the pans with cocoa; tap out extra.
Sift cocoa, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar into bowl. Beat in oil, buttermilk, vanilla, eggs, and hot water one at a time, using a mixer set at low. Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Pour batter into pans. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean; an adult should rotate the pans halfway through and remove cakes from the oven.
Let cakes cool in pans on wire racks, 20 minutes, before inverting to remove. Discard paper. Cool completely on racks, top side up. An adult should cut off top of one layer.

Chocolate Ganache
1 cup heavy cream
16 ounces semi sweet chocolate bar chopped
Directions
Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour over chocolate in a bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Slowly whisk until smooth. Let cool completely, stirring often with a rubber spatula
Whipped Cream
1.In a deep mixing bowl, beat 2 cups very cold heavy cream (try to get it where it's not ultra-pasteurized, probably the organic kind, it beats up better) until soft peaks form
2. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar over cream; beat until soft peaks return. Do not over beat (seriously don't, it's turns to butter, believe me I know).

An End to Art for Art's Sake

2008-05-19T13:26:00.000-07:00

Well I just took the last final for the semester, Renaissance Art History, but I don't feel relieved yet 'cause I know I have maybe four more years of painstaking studying and slaving over something that should've only taken four years in any normal situation. It should be about seven years total from starting back up with school (seriously studying this time) and graduation. Hopefully no bump in the road will happen again to make the journey longer, fingers crossed.

I finally have a picture from the modern dance performance for some girls senior project a couple of weeks ago. It's not very good since I only had my cell phone camera at the time.

The Return of the Introverted

2008-04-29T15:01:00.000-07:00

I can't believe i got finagled into performing for some girl's senior project because a bunch of other dancers bailed. I haven't danced, well performed dancing, in almost 10 years. At least it's just a modern piece, no having to feel uncomfortable doing some ballet that my body can't contort to anymore. But really, come on! There are reasons why I stopped performing, not that I really want to discuss it here. But I'm just not comfortable with it any more. We'll see how it goes.
In other news: my mom is getting all the awesome gigs. A few weeks ago she tapered some jeans for the dudes in Paramore when they were in town. Then last week she worked on some safari/military gear for Kanye West's band. How surreal, fantastical, and completely ridiculous (mostly because she has no idea who these music artists are).

Ah the Soreness

2008-04-23T14:53:00.000-07:00

I really can't move right now, serves me right for missing a few modern dance classes. We have to choreograph a piece for the final, about 1:30-2:00 minutes. I think I want to do it to Spoon's "Don't You Evah". But it's so freak'n up beat, and I don't think I'm in that frame of mind right now. I don't want to be all reclusive and tempermental, but nothing seems to be working in the direction that I want it to. And as for this dance piece, I'm not in the same shape as I was when I was 18 and dancing semi-professionally, far from it, and yet I still push myself like I am. But hey, I actually did a double pirouette yesterday bare foot with no problems and wearing funky fitting contact lenses. But man am I sore.

Stressful Times

2008-04-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I really didn't want to, but I dropped my English Lit and Physical Science classes today. I could have trudged along with no care in the world, but not getting into the university I applied for had more of an effect than I thought it would. I came to realize that all the classes I'm taking this semester were for the other school and not needed for the school that I have automatic acceptance. Things just started going down hill really quickly. I became disheartened with continuing in the classes, I then started to skip those classes, not study, not looking at the syllabus, and not really care. Well, I take that back; I did care, but not enough to not let the non-acceptance affect me.

Entering the World of Venting and Sharing

2008-04-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

I have never really considered exposing my thoughts in a surrounding where many are able to view it. Heck, I don't even keep a private journal for very long, not being able to trust peering eyes. Well here I am, taking the opportunity to change all that, to show the happy, the sad, the confusing, the uplifting, and everything in between.

Now, to get back to the struggle of writing an art history paper on a Willem Claesz Heda still-life.