Week 8: Swing time!

Ok, first of all, wasn't Conference GREAT?  LOVED it.

Onwards!

Well, the week itself isn't much to talk about.

I started biking to school (and back, of course) and I was jogging as well!  I think that's pretty cool!

They don't let me buy lunch at school (for whatever reason) so I always make enough dinner for lunch the next day. 

Or...the next FEW days apparently.

I didn't jog Thursday, but that wasn't JUST laziness.  It was PLANNING.  See, I knew I had a GREAT deal of exercise coming up that weekend.

Swing exchange!

Welcome to a corner of my heaven.

I haven't actually swung dance (swing danced? Done swing dancing? swung danced?)  for a couple YEARS now, so I got out there, and I knew I'd be rusty.  And I was! Charles was nice and said he couldn't tell.  I knew I WAS though, because I had to THINK about what I was doing!  It was hard!  After a few dances I loosened up and was able to relax.  A few MORE songs and I had it back again.  Guess it's muscle memory anymore. :)

Charles (guy from my swing club in Arizona) came in from the States and we went out to dinner before hand.

 And an interesting thing, I got some bacon.  For dinner.  It was thick cut bacon.  Like...two inches thick.  NO, seriously, it was like a little steak of bacon meat.  They cooked it on a grill nice and gentle and put pepper on it and then you squeeze fresh lemon over it. And I gotta say, it was GOOD.  Think of that, next time.

So, then dancing!  There were people with interesting clothes.

and I guess my living healthy has been helping, because I managed to swing for the whole three hours without too much trouble!  I won't say I got tired.  By the end of the night, I was making silly mistakes and when I finally staggered home at about 12:30, I DIED.

Saturday, I woke up sore, but well rested.  I got to talk to family and go shopping before taking off for...MORE DANCING!!

This was a contest. I didn't get pictures of most of the night because I was busy. Dancing.

I had a blast! I even got asked to dance several times!  Those who know me, know I'm REALLY subtle, and shy and retiring when it comes to asking people to dance.

Really.

(does anyone actually believe that?)

I, for some reason, don't get asked to dance very often, and since I REALLY like to dance, I just got used to asking others instead of sitting around and waiting.

This dance ended around 8:40, which is a little early for a dance, but then it started at 5:30, so it was still 3 solid hours of dancing.   They did have more dancing. Something called the "late night" but was actually an "early morning". It went from Midnight until 5:00 AM, and...again, I'm not really a late night person.  (My brain shuts down around 11:00) 

When I got home, I died again.

Sunday morning, I woke up SORE and TIRED and just laid about in bed. I was really glad this was the week for Asia to watch General Conference, because I did NOT want to leave the house before noon!

This week I am thankful for pain killer.

Then I went back to dancing.  Guess I'm a glutton for punishment. :)

Outside dancing!  I was really feeling the effects of a long weekend by this point and when dancing would feel interesting muscles pull.  They called a break, so I walked around Osaka castle park with Charles for a little to loosen up more.

There were adorable children

ACCEPT MY RETURNING OF THE BALL!!

And a raptor club!

I stare at you!

And there were kids practicing traditional dancing

And a street preformer

Then I went back to dancing! 

Because of course I did!

As I left, I was debating whether or not I was going to make it to the evening dancing. (It's an exchange. It just keeps going.)  And I finally decided my body had enough. I was done.  Three hours of dancing for three days straight, and apparently I'm not QUITE as in shape as the last time I went to an exchange. Either that or I'm more aware of consequences, because I DO have to survive enough to go to school.  I still did better than I thought I would.

Unfortunately, there WAS a casualty.

Alas poor fan, you served me well.  Go in peace.

Still, what a GREAT weekend!