To get you up to date

Ok, so what have I been doing since Vienna. I have actually been enjoying the winter. Toronto has gotten more snow than they have in decades, and I don't think it's bad. It's nothing like Tahoe was, and I don't have to go outside if I don't want to. :-) I think that part makes all the difference. And having the right clothes (i.e. Stewart).

I decided walking in a few inches of fresh snow is like walking on sand. Think about when you walk on the beach - thick, uneven, takes more effort, kicks up behind you....

I have not danced since I've been back, but I have gone snowboarding 3x. I found this great girl who really pushed me. She rpefers the park to the slopes, which is something I have wanted to do. I rode the half pipe and the big jump! One day, after a big snowstorm, I spent the whole day in the pipe because there was lots of fresh snow to cushion my falls. And there were many falls. I was bruised, battered and very sore, but it was worth it - I caught air and I hit the top of the pipe. Oh, and I decided I need a new board.

I went to a fundraiser to autistic children. The firemen in the firemen calendar were there. Selling and autographing their calendars, and there's The Ring of Fire. A circle of chairs you buy tickets to and the firemen give you lapdances. I was the first person to buy a seat.

My friend M teaches 3rd and 4th grade and she asked me to teach her kids dance. So, I went for 3 weeks and taught them square dance, salsa and waltz. Yes, I made the 3rd and 4th graders touch each other. It was cute.

My smoke alarm seems to have gotten extra sensitive. I cannot open my oven door for a second without it going off. Being me, I, of course, am more concerned that my neighbors think I am a bad cook, than of an actual fire. (It's hardwired in, so I can't just take the battery out.) Then, the worst happened. I was making Grandma's zucchini and I kept opening the oven door to check on it. Alarm kept going off. My neighbors knocked on my door to make sure I was ok and not burning the place down. I had asked the super about it a few weeks ago, and he said it was normal. This time, I went down to the office and spoke with the ladies in the office, who told me it's now "urgent" and I need to write that on their. They are ordering me a new smoke alarm. It'll be here in about a week. In the meantime, you know their solution, they unhooked the wires.

Birthday - I didn't do much on my actual birthday, as it was a schoolnight and I really wasn't feeling well (day after the big snowboarding trip. Did I mention there were no lift-lines, so I really got 2-3 days of boarding into 1 day. I was exhausted.) So, there are 3 of us with March birthdays, so we had a birthday celebration Saturday. We met at my place for drinks and appetizers and then went to this restaurant that has a 7 course dessert menu. Yes, 7 courses of fancy French desserts. No normal chocolate cake and ice cream. We had avocado cake, parsnip ice cream, mousse, creme brulee, and all sorts of things with French names.